The Grains Of Time
by X2yp71c
Summary: Seto x Jounouchi Eventually. Summary inside. Still in progress. I'm not really dead. Just lacking the will to write.
1. Signs

**The Grains of Time**

**Author:** Amoral Butterfly (formerly Demonic Angel)  
**Rating:** M  
**Genre:** Angst, Romance  
**Pairing:** Seto/Jounouchi; **Sub-Pairings:** Yami/Yugi, Bakura/Ryou  
**Disclaimer:** The characters portrayed in this piece of written fiction do not belong to me but to Kazuki Takahashi. As such, I claim neither profit nor recognition for this work.

**Summary:**  
For nine years Jounouchi has held on to a dark secret, but when it can no longer be concealed, everyone will be forced to face the devastating truth.

**Warning:** Yaoi, slash, homosexuality – whatever you want to call it. Also be aware of severe angst, violence and child abuse. There may also be spelling and grammar errors, as well as the incorrect usage of modern medical theory. Other warnings later as necessity dictates. Read with caution.

**Update:** October, 2006  
Yeah, yeah. I know what you're thinking. WHEN did I start this fic? 2001? I feebly offer my deepest apologies to all those who have read and no longer read this fic due to massive irresponsibility on my part. I doubt people are still reading this. I mean, just look at how large the Yugioh fandom's grown. I'm such an old geezer. I can remember way back when this ficdom had less than 3000 entries on ffnet. Anyway, I tried to shoulder the responsibility of writing a great fic, and obviously failed. I've disappointed many readers, I know, so they've all moved on to the more skilled, and more responsible authors out there.

Nevertheless, I will try to finish this fic.  
If there's anything I can do for my beloved readers to make up for the atrocity of a seemingly dead fic, please let me know.

-x-

**Chapter One: Signs**

Dark amber eyes bored into the ceiling of a plain room. Spread out upon sheets of faded green, ruffled strands of honey glistened in the few faded beams of moonlight that had managed to seep in through cracks despite the boarded shutters.

_Not much time left for me, I guess._ Joey thought, somewhat without emotion. _Maybe a year, if I'm lucky. It's already begun to show..._

- Begin Flashback Sequence -

His mother stared at him with expressionless eyes; a doctor of an unspecified medical branch dressed in white standing rigidly beside her. Both adults held papers in their hands and copies of CT scans were displayed ominously on the wall. Confused, the frightened eyes of a seven year old Joey flicked nervously from the papers to the adults, then back again.

"Okaa-san?"

His voice came out slightly shrill and odd sounding in the dull silence of the room. Still, his mother continued to stare at him, maybe even silently accusing him with her eyes. The doctor, realizing that they weren't going to get anywhere this way, decided to break the silence.

"Jounouchi. There's something that you need to know." His voice was slow and gentle.

"We've delayed telling you this since you were born." Jounouchi's mother abruptly cut in. "But now that you're older, your father and I feel that you are ready to know."

There was a slight pause, and young Jounouchi's throat constricted in sudden fear. The doctor continued.

"In your brain is a tumor, what we would often call brain cancer. Unfortunately, this rare form of cancer has left you with a considerably shorter lifespan, no more than an estimated ten years longer, in fact. While benign at the moment, over time..." What began as a rush died off, the words suffocated by the weight of the words.

Jounouchi stared, wide eyed at the two grown ups in front of him. It was hard to process what they had just said for he was, after all, only seven. His mother knew that he had not fully understood the depth of the situation.

She sighed, almost in an agitated way. "Jounouchi, what he means is that you may die ten years from now. There's really nothing we can do about it."

"But..." Immediately, the doctor was silenced by the nasty glare she sent his way.

Wincing, he remained silent, but he hated the harshness in her words. Parents who cared never stated something as serious as this so bluntly, and especially to a mere child. This child would have to suffer with the sad and plain fact; no sweet heavenly stories would be offered to coat the pain.

Of course nothing in life is ever hopeless. There were methods, treatments that could delay the date of expiration, if not bring about a total cure. The doctor had tried to offer these alternatives, but his feeble suggestions hit the impenetrable wall of poverty. Jounouchi's mother knew they would never be able to afford such costly medical bills, and with a cruel sort of mercy, she sought fit to deny the boy any hope at any chance of recovery.

As expected, the small boy burst into tears and muffled sobs. They watched helplessly as the young one curled up into a ball upon the examination table and wept. His mother tried desperately to comfort him, in her own fashion.

"Stop crying, Jounouchi. You must realize that not many people with cancer get to live as long as ten years once diagnosed. Besides, you should just forget about it and think about your sister instead. She'll be blind in a matter of years and crippled for the rest of her life. She'll be suffering much longer than you will."

It was twisted reasoning but strangely enough, the warped logic made sense, especially in a mind that was desperately searching for an upside to the problem. Jounouchi's cries gradually ceased in volume until they were reduced to pitiful whimpers. Then the doctor reluctantly vocalized his final diagnosis.

"The symptoms... Will be painful – migraines, nausea, concussions... Fortunately these won't occur until within a year of your... Well a year before it reaches terminal stage. Until then, you can completely enjoy life without the disabilities that other sick children have." He smiled grimly.

Eventually, they left the office but not before it became clear to Jounouchi that his sister, Shizuka, should never be told of his illness - though for a reason that was beyond him.

- End Flashback Sequence -

-x-

The cafeteria was crowded as usual when the group sat down to lunch, but Jounouchi, when faced with his own tray of food, found that he had lost his normal appetite.

"Hey, Honda."

Looking up from his nearly empty plate, Honda swallowed what he'd already had in his mouth before fixing his gaze on his best friend.

"Yeah?"

"You want this?" He motioned towards his own plate.

Honda stared at him. "Aren't you going to eat that?"

Shrugging, Jounouchi pushed his tray towards him. "Not really."

All four of his friends stared at him in shock. Yugi had his fork halfway to his mouth and Ryou had paused in the middle of a bite from his apple. Jounouchi flushed.

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah. It's no problem. I just had a lot to eat this morning, that's all."

"Jounouchi, not hungry? Has the world come to an end!" Anzu exclaimed as she sat down opposite of Yugi with a bowl of salad.

"Anzu, don't be mean. Jounouchi could be really sick." Yugi told her before getting up to put his tray away.

"Yes. Maybe you should see the nurse." Ryou advised.

By now, Jounouchi had become completely red in the face from all the attention that he was receiving, something that was really starting to irk him. Plastering on one of his trademark grins, he flashed his friends a thumbs up sign.

"No! You guys, really, I'm fine! I just don't want to waste food, that's all!"

"If you're sure…"

"Go ahead Honda! It's not like I'm going to die if I missed just this one meal!"

Anzu smirked. "You probably will. The bottomless pit could never be satisfied and never will."

"Anzu!" Said Yugi.

-x-

Jounouchi sighed heavily before switching his backpack to his left shoulder. A small headache had started just an hour before and steadily grown worse until the pain only seemed to lessen when he kept his eyes focused on the tiled floor as he walked.

Unfortunately with his head down, he couldn't see where he was going. His head abruptly collided sharply with something firm that not only caused his pain senses to go reeling into unbearable heights, but also caused him to fall to the floor.

"Ow…What the Hell did I hit?" He groaned, holding his head in his hands.

"Dumb dog. Watch where you're going." Sneered a voice that seemed much too familiar.

Slowly, Jounouchi looked up and into the glaring face of Seto Kaiba. Groaning more with anger than with pain this time, he began to pick up his scattered things.

"Oh, shut up, Kaiba. YOU should have been watching where you were going!"

"Whatever, mutt."

Rising to his feet, Jounouchi glared at him for a moment longer before side stepping around Seto and stomping angrily away. Just as he was about to exit through the school's front doors, however, he heard Seto's voice call out to him and turned around.

"What now?" He called back, annoyed.

Seto smirked, enjoying the way that the stupid dog looked when agitated. "You should know... There's a new student coming."

Jounouchi, ignoring his throbbing headache, raised an eyebrow at the strange, out of nowhere piece of information. "So?"

Shrugging, Seto turned around and began walking in the opposite direction. "Just thought that you might like to know… All things considered..."

Disliking the fact that he had no idea what Seto was talking about, Jounouchi cursed softly beneath his breath. "How the Hell would you know anything at all!"

"You forget that I can hack into any computer mainframe, pup."

"Quit calling me a dog, you jerk!"

-x-

The wooden door to his home was cracked and slightly ajar, indicating that it was unlocked. Jounouchi stared gloomily at it, not really wanting to go inside. He'd heard shouts from within, from his drunken father, and knew instantly that he wasn't in a good mood. What's more was that he'd also heard the breaking of glass. He softly kicked the door open with his foot and peered cautiously inside.

Beer cans and broken glass littered the floor; old stains from spilled alcoholic beverages dotted what was once a beige colored rug. Even the light fixture attached to the ceiling had a shattered bulb. What little light there was came from the partially boarded windows and a single working lamp that sat amongst piles of junk on a desk.

Stepping inside once he couldn't spot his father anywhere in the living room, Jounouchi inwardly winced when he heard more shouts and crashes that came from the kitchen.

"What tha fuck are ya tryin' ta say!…" Crash. "Ah, ya fuckin' bitch. Jus' go back ta tha fuckin' Whore Land where ya came from..." Crash.

Jounouchi sighed, a look of disgust on his face when he realized that his father was talking to himself again, and in the slurred speech of a drunk. Taking off his shoes and placing his backpack in a corner, he tried his best to clean up the giant mess in the room when heavy footsteps alerted him to his father's presence. Warily, Jounouchi paused in his work to look at the man slouching against the doorframe, noting briefly the broken bottle that he held.

"Whatchoo' doin' boy?" The older man demanded, blood shot eyes unfocused and half-covered by droopy eyelids.

Jounouchi lifted slightly the bag of trash that he held. "Cleaning."

"Just leave 'at alone. It'll clean itself." Slowly, he unsteadily raised his arm and tried to drink out of the empty bottle. Finding that he couldn't, he threw it into a nearby wall where it smashed into dangerous shards. "Ah, fuck it."

Jounouchi shook his head and resumed picking up the various pieces of trash around the room.

"Hey! I said ta fuckin' leave 'at alone!"

"It's not going to clean itself, otou-san." Jounouchi instantly regretted his response.

Immediately, the man began to stagger angrily towards his son. Raising his fist in a threatening manner, his voice which had just been bordering on the line of anger, now raged into all out fury.

"Who said 'at ya could defy me, ya little sonuva bitch!"

Dropping the bag, Jounouchi slowly backed away from his father's advance. Consequently, a shard of glass pierced through his sock and he bit back a yelp. Blood seeped out onto the rug and he reached down to pull it out. Seeing an opportunity, the man reached forward and roughly shoved him back, causing Jounouchi to step on more broken glass before tripping backwards on a stray drink coaster and falling onto a broken wooden coffee table.

Biting his lip, Jounouchi tried to ignore the pain. Aside from the glass shards, he now had wooden splinters embedded in his arm. Rising unsteadily, he faced the outraged man, determined not to show him any weakness.

"I was just trying to help." He stated with little emotion.

If possible, his father's face grew even redder. "Help!" He shouted, spit flying from his mouth. "You're nothin' more'n trouble, you bastard! I've been puttin' up wit your fuckin' existence fer years! And this is how ya repay me? By not listenin' to what I say!"

Grabbing onto the collar of Jounouchi's uniform and yanking him forward, his father sneered into his face, allowing his alcoholic breath to nearly choke the younger boy's lungs. The blonde struggled in vain against the grip but although the man was drunk, his much larger form had immense strength.

"Well, I'll just have ta teach ya how ta listen."

Grinning sadistically, the drunk curled his hand into a fist and slammed it hard against his son's face. Jounouchi screamed as intense pain flooded his senses. A pain worse than he had ever felt before. His vision swam in and out of focus and he clutched his head in agony. Hot tears coursed their way down his face and dripped onto the floor.

Vaguely, Jounouchi felt himself being dropped and he instinctively curled into a ball on the floor, trying desperately to rid himself of the pain in his head. He barely heard the muttered obscenities from his father and the sound of his retreating footsteps.

-x-

The bell was about to ring in less than a few minutes and Yugi stared worriedly at Jounouchi's vacant seat. Although Jounouchi wasn't exactly known for being punctual, he was never exactly known to be this late either. Yugi looked towards his equally worried friend, Honda, who could only give him the same confused expression that both Ryou and Anzu had given him. He sighed.

-Yami...-

--Yes?--

-I'm worried. Jounouchi hasn't arrived yet and he didn't seem like himself yesterday.-

--Don't worry, aibou. I'm sure he's fine.--

-I hope you're right…-

Yugi looked towards the clock and held his breath. The second hand had thirty seconds before the school bell would ring. It felt as if a bomb was ticking its way down to the inevitable explosion.

Without warning, the classroom door slammed open to reveal the missing blonde who quickly hurried to his seat near Yugi. It was hard to see his face with all his rushed movements, but once they had a clear look, they all gasped in shock.

"Jounouchi, what happened to you!" Yugi demanded.

"Wha-? Oh, you mean this?" The blonde pointed to the severely darkened patch of skin over his cheek bone. They nodded.

Jounouchi grinned and played embarrassment, a lie easily falling from his lips. "It's nothing, actually. Haha. You see, this morning I accidentally tripped while getting out of bed and hit the bedpost..."

"The clumsy mutt does it again, to everyone's great amusement." Seto's smirk could be seen from across the room. A few other students laughed.

"Shut up, Kaiba." Jounouchi spat back. "Why don't you just-!"

The abrupt school bell effectively cut him off and grumbling, Jounouchi settled back into his seat like everyone else. With morning announcements came boredom and he proceeded to have a pencil fight with Honda.

Meanwhile, Seto, on the other side of the room and in his own mind, hadn't bought the lie at all. It was too quick and too simple. Past experiences had taught him how to see through a mask and he could tell that the puppy's grin wasn't entirely real. Not to mention that tripping into a bedpost shouldn't have caused a bruise that severe, unless of course he was purposely banging his head on it. Ridiculous.

Seto narrowed his eyes just thinking about it. There was a slight chance that he'd gotten into a fight with someone. He'd done it before. But why lie?

Why are you even contemplating this? Seto chastised himself. It's none of your concern. Why waste thoughts over a pathetic dog.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts and tried to focus more on the (boring) school announcements.

-x-

Lunch that day was almost a repeat of the previous. Jounouchi couldn't get himself to eat. Either it was the guilt from having to lie and conceal from his friends the truth or the mere disturbing fact itself, but he'd completely lost his appetite, to the great worry of his friends.

"Not hungry again?" Ryou asked after noticing that Jounouchi had literally just been pecking at his food for the past few minutes. The blonde shot him a skeptical look.

"You expect me to eat…this?" He said, gesturing towards a sandwich that closely resembled a squashed potato.

"Jounouchi! You're known to eat anything! Even things that aren't edible!" Anzu laughed.

Jounouchi puffed out his cheeks in mock anger and glared at her across the table. Honda, who'd just been about to flick something that was black and dead into Ryou's lunch with a spork, looked up and stared suspiciously at Jounouchi next to him.

"You should eat, you know." He stated bluntly.

"Yeah, I'm going to." Jounouchi replied. To prove that he actually was going to eat, he picked up the sandwich and bit, chewing slowly and carefully.

Anzu gazed at him in shock. "Wow, look at that you guys! Jounouchi's eating normally for once!"

Yugi sighed wearily and decided to ignore Anzu. With some amusement he watched as Honda's mission actually turned out to be a success when the black and dead thing landed perfectly in Ryou's open container of chocolate pudding without him noticing.

-Yami-

--You okay?--

-Of course I am. Just remind me never to leave any of my food unattended.-

--Sure, alright…But why do you ask?--

-I might end up eating unidentifiable things that are black and dead…-

--You have the strangest friends, aibou.--

-No stranger than you.-

--What do you mean?--

-You're technically just a voice in my head. Any counselor would think I'm crazy.- Grin.

--Aibou!--

-Ahaha.-

A loud scream pierced through the noisy cafeteria, automatically silencing all other chatter.

"JOUNOUCHI!"

Turning towards the doors, Joey gasped at who he saw.

- To Be Continued -

-x-

Ryou: You know, that was very mean of Honda to do that.

Honda: -innocent halo- Do what?

Ryou: Yugi told me. You flicked something black and dead into my lunch! How unsanitary is that?

Honda: At least it was dead?

Ryou: That's just it! Obviously, it used to be alive. What DID you flick into my lunch!

Honda: …Come to think of it, I have no idea...

-a cricket chirps in the background-

**Author's Notes:**  
- I don't know Jounouchi's parents' names so I will always refer to them as 'his mother' or 'his father.'  
- I realize that Jounouchi's first name is 'Katsuya' but for the sake of habit, let's reverse his name – henceforth, 'Katsuya' is now his last name. After all, no where that I have seen is he regularly referred to as Katsuya, even by his closest friends. Oo;

**IMPORTANT:** I have NOT actually seen anything of the Yugioh series beyond the Battle City arc, so please keep that in mind as you read. I know by now Yugioh has branched out and grown, even into a whole new series (Yugioh GX? Gah.), but I refuse to alter the original Yugioh gang and refer to characters or incidents that I know nothing about. This is 'old school' Yugioh, readers. This is where I am most content. Thanks for understanding.


	2. Painted Guilt

The Grains Of Time  
Written By Demonic Angel

Rating ~ R  
Possible lemon in future chapters.  
Genre ~ Angst, Romance  
Pairing ~ Joey/Seto  
Disclaimer ~ I do not own any of the characters used in this work of fanfiction. I merely borrow the characters for my own distorted fun. I do, however, own the plot. Please ask permission to use it.

But I AM studying to be a future millionaire! (you know…business management and such?) So watch out, Kazuki Takahashi! Because the day I become CEO of my own multi-billion dollar corporation, is the day where you'll see me on your doorstep, silver suitcase in hand, and wearing a blue trenchcoat; DEMANDING to buy the rights to Seto Kaiba, Jounouchi Katsuya, and all the rest of the characters from YuGiOh! aside from Anzu *shudder* !  
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Readers (if any): O_o

No, seriously.  
It's my goal.  
::ignores the obvious snickering in the background::

Seto: Yeah…That'll be the day…*snicker* According to my calculations, it'd take about 16,667 of DM's saved allowances to match a mere ONE million. And her brain's smaller than a pea. DM would NEVER make an efficient self-making millionaire!

…  
And THIS is the reason why I torture these characters.  
*To Seto* : And don't you dare call me DM again.

Summary ~  
For nine years, a depressing secret had been kept in the dark. When it can no longer be concealed, Joey is forced to face the devastating truth. All of his hope had long since been lost and although his friends refuse to believe it, there is nothing that they can do.

Warning ~  
Please be aware of severe depression and slight violence.  
Also, yaoi pairings (male x male relationships) are present and focused on.  


Hi, everybody! I'm back (obviously)! I hope I haven't kept all of you waiting. ::sweatdrop::

    But to Blue Lagoon Loon, I am SO sorry! ::whacks head repetitively with a ten pound book:: I knew that this was going to happen when I chose cancer to be Joey's illness. I didn't mean to spark sad thoughts! I just couldn't think of any other sickness that doesn't immediately kill and has symptoms that doesn't show up until the last minute! ::sniffle::

    And as long as we're on that subject…While there IS such a thing as a benign tumor, I am completely making up the symptoms and everything else related to Joey's cancer. I have NO idea how it actually feels to die slowly from a growing tumor in the head. So humor me if I've gotten everything wrong. I'm not even exactly sure if you CAN save someone who's had it for ten years without it being treated. I'm technically not a doctor. My badly treated teddy bears are proof enough. -_-;

  
Chapter Two  
Painted Guilt

    Suddenly, a loud scream pierced through the noisy cafeteria, automatically silencing all other chatter.

"JOEY!"

Turning around, Joey gasped at who he saw.

"Shizuka, what are you doing here?!"

    The thin form of his sister could be plainly seen, running straight through the aisles of eating students towards him with her brown hair flying wildly behind her. As she neared, Joey could see that tears streamed down her pale face in numerous rivulets, ending in glimmering droplets.

    Worried that something terrible had happened to _her_, he rushed forward only to be enveloped by her frail arms, nearly falling backwards from the force with which she used to propel herself towards him.

"Shizuka, what happened? Are you okay?!" He asked frantically, silently vowing to murder anyone who had dared to try and hurt her. But he wasn't prepared for what she did next.

    Upon hearing his words, she instantly released her hold on him. Stepping backwards, Shizuka gazed up at him with a fury in her eyes that was so strong, Joey could scarcely believe that she was still the same gentle, caring sister that he knew from long ago.

"Am I okay?!" She practically shouted, oblivious to the stares they were getting from nearly half the entire student population that, at the moment, currently resided in the cafeteria. "What about you?! How could you keep such a secret from me?!"

Joey's mind nearly froze altogether at the accusation. _She…She can't…know…Oh, shit…_

"Wha-What are you talking about?" He asked nervously, all the while hoping for some sympathetic god to let him seep through the floor and disappear.

"As if you don't know!" Shizuka cried, more tears flowing down her cheeks. "You should know very well what I'm talking about! Mother told me! And after all these years, I never knew..." She trailed off, sobbing.

"Uh, calm down, Shizuka-"

"Calm down?! My only brother has less than a year left to live and you're telling me to calm down?!"

"Joey…" Started Yugi, amethyst eyes wide and questioning. "What's Shizuka talking about?"

"N-Nothing, Yugi." A skeptical look crossed the shorter boy's face.

"Look, Shizuka, let's talk about this somewhere else, okay?"

    Placing his hands on her shoulders, Joey slowly steered her towards one of the side exits. Both Yugi and Honda were about to follow the two when he sent them a warning look; one of the rarest expressions that they had ever seen on such a usually cheerful and easygoing person.

    And although the complex situation roused more than just a little curiosity and a few questions, his friends respected his obvious wish for privacy and allowed him to lead her away. Quickly, as if nothing had happened, the cafeteria resumed its normal chatter.

"Well, that was sure weird." Anzu stated.

"Yeah, and did you hear what she said?" Said Honda. "Something about Joey with less than a year to live. Do you think maybe that it was some sort of joke or one of them figure of speeches?"

Ryou shook his head, silver locks flying into an even messier fashion than usual. "I highly doubt that. The way she was crying…It just couldn't be a mere prank. I only hope that it was a figure of speech."

    Eyes bright, Yugi stared at his plate, silent, worried. Maybe Joey's lack of appetite was contagious because suddenly, he'd lost his appetite as well. With his fork, he began to push the sides of his mashed potatoes in to form a small mountain.

/Hey, Yami. Did you hear all of that?/

//Yes, I did. I'm worried too.//

/Do you actually think that she was being serious?/ He squashed the pile of mashed potatoes.

//I'm not sure. I'm hoping that she wasn't.//

/Me too…/

//…//

/Hey, do you want to play tic tac toe?/

//What's that?//

/Here, I'll teach you./

    And he began to draw the required pound sign into his flat patty of mashed potatoes. Yugi could practically _feel_ his Yami smiling in his head.

/What are smiling about?/ Yugi asked, genuinely curious.

//Nothing just…Didn't your grandfather ever teach you not to play with your food?// He taunted.

/Hmph. Yami…If only you were here, I'd throw this handful of mashed potatoes into your face myself./

Yami laughed. //Now is that any way for gentle Yugi to act?// There was an exaggerated gasp. //What would your friends say if they knew that you had an actual violent side?!//

/Oh, shush you./ Smiled Yugi, now in a slightly happier mood thanks to his Yami. /I'm trying to teach you how to play tic tac toe./

//It wouldn't really matter.// Chuckled Yami. //I'd defeat you in that game too. I am after all, the King of Games!//

/We'll see about that./ Yugi considered himself to be an expert at tic tac toe. /…And just because you beat me twelve times in a row at Duel Monsters doesn't give you the right to brag!/

//Hehehe…//

    Silence reigned for several minutes as the group continued to finish their food while Yugi mentally taught Yami the basic concepts of the tic tac toe game, using the mashed potatoes as a sort of playing board. That is, until a familiar figure caught Anzu's eye.

"Hey, isn't that Kaiba?" She inquired.

    Confused, the three guys turned their heads in the same direction as hers and immediately spotted the tall brunette leaning against a random pillar of the cafeteria, arms crossed and his gaze seemingly to stare towards the doors where Joey was last seen exciting with his sister.

"Has he been there the whole time?" Honda asked.

Ryou shrugged. "I don't know. But it sure seems like it."

Anzu sighed, a hint of frustration and worry in that simple act. "What is up with everyone today?! First Joey loses his appetite…And I repeat: JOEY loses his APPETITE! When, in all the years that we've all known him, has this particular miracle EVER happened?!"

"I'd say um, never?" Yugi offered.

"Exactly! Then Shizuka shows up, acting as if she HATED Joey! Don't know about you guys, but from what I remember, she practically worshipped her brother…At least until now, anyway." They nodded.

"But now even Kaiba's starting to act weird!" She continued. "Can anybody tell me the last time that he even stepped foot into this cafeteria?"

"I think it might have been around three years ago." Ryou stated; his head propped on a fist as he thought. "When we all had that assembly where they welcome new freshman students to their first year of highschool."

    Anzu scrunched up her nose, a habit that Yugi only now began to notice. Without even thinking, a picture formed in his mind. Laughing silently, Yami decided to mentally add some voice to his hikari's thoughts.

//Oink!//

/YAMI!/ Yugi blushed, thankful that no one else could hear.

"Come to think of it, did he even attend that assembly?" Anzu wondered.

Before anyone could answer, however, a voice spoke from behind her.

"Having a discussion about me, are we?"

    The four friends yelped in surprise and instinctively backed away from Seto as if he'd just announced a threat to kill them all (not that he wouldn't). They had been so caught up in their conversation that they hadn't even noticed Seto's approach.

"Um…uh…Kaiba! How nice to see you!" Anzu stuttered.

Honda snorted. "Since when did you start sneaking up on people and eavesdropping on their _private_ conversations?" There was a definite stress on the word 'private'.

"Can it." Replied Seto, voice harsh. "I just want to know what she's doing here." And he jerked his head towards the side doors.

"What? A sister can't visit her own brother?" Honda retorted, voice equally sharp.

Seto smirked. "To make it simple, she isn't supposed to be here until tomorrow. What's so important that she has to be in such a big rush to see that dog?"

Getting to his feet, Honda glared across the table at the taller teen, angry at the comment made towards his best friend. "First of all, Joey isn't a dog. And second of all, how the Hell would you know if Shizuka would be visiting at all?! You don't even know who she is!"

"I think we'd all like to know that." Interrupted Anzu.

"Wow. I'm actually impressed. I didn't think that _all_ of you would be as dumb as that DOG." Seto challenged. "Didn't stop to remember that I am well more than capable of acquiring any information that I desire, as long as it's in a computer database?"

Anzu scowled. "Whatever, Kaiba. Quit making your head bigger than it already is."

"Look, we know just about as much as you do. So why don't you just bug off?" Said Honda.

"Fine." He shrugged. "I was about to anyway." They watched as Seto walked off, all of them secretly marveling at how calm he can be, even with their comments.

    Honda sat back down and Yugi resumed his game with Yami. Always the good observer, Ryou glanced around the place out of slight boredom until something on Yugi's plate caught his eye. Being too courteous and considerate to actually laugh, he settled instead for a soft smile of amusement.

"Um, Yugi…" He inquired lightly. "Are you drawing on your mashed potatoes?"

    Looking up, Yugi had just finished erasing the marks on the white mush in order to have a rematch with Yami before fully realizing what Ryou had just asked. He blushed.

"Uh…Actually…I'm kinda playing tic tac toe with Yami…"

Ryou laughed, then. "Oh, I see, good idea. Maybe Bakura would like to try the game. I'll ask him." He said, while gesturing to his own pile of uneaten mush.

/Bakura…?/

//What?!// He snapped back, having just been awakened from a light sleep.

/Oh, I'm sorry for waking you up./ Ryou apologized, slightly sad.

Bakura's demeanor quickly changed. //Forget it. I'm already up. What did you want to say? If anybody's threatening you, just tell me who it is and I'll gladly banish the bastard to the shadow realm…//

Ryou mentally laughed, the merry sound affecting Bakura in a way he didn't like. _Stupid emotions._ He fumed, but after he'd made sure that there was a barrier protecting THESE thoughts. _Who needs them?_ _I wish they'd leave me alone. No, better yet, I wish I didn't have any. Damn Ryou._

/No, that's not what I was going to ask! I just wanted to know if you'd like to play tic tac toe with me…?/

//What the Hell is that?//

/It's a game where the main goal is to get three x's in a row./

//Now why would I want to play some lame ass game like that?// Bakura snorted.

/Well, Yami's playing it with Yugi. I was only hoping that maybe we could challenge them. But then again, if you're not willing…Oh, wells. We probably wouldn't be able to beat them anyway./

//Pf! That pharaoh…defeat me?! Ha! You must be joking!//

/Well, we'll never know. It seems as if that Yami's already had lots of practice with Yugi and here you don't even know how to play the game. It does require a lot of strategy, you know. Maybe you're just too scared to play./

//WHAT?! Me, SCARED?! Listen, I can defeat that pharaoh in anything! How does this dumb game of yours work?!//

Ryou smiled.

~*~  


Seto scowled as he walked down the hall and towards the library.

    Those idiots hadn't been very informative. And after all that trouble he went to just to walk up to them and ask! His cruel image was now shattered. He knew that some of the school's biggest gossips were watching him when he'd made his inquiry about Joey. They're always watching. Rumors would fly and the question on whether or not he had any friends would be constantly brought up and debated before him.

    Practically growling with frustration, he slammed the glass doors open and, ignoring the scandalized look from the librarian, stomped to a certain desk in a far corner and sat down, thumping his briefcase on the polished surface as he did so. Several students who were doing last minute homework assignments glanced briefly up at him before quickly averting their gaze in sheer terror at what he might do should he notice their staring.

__

There must be some way to repair the damage done to my public reputation. He thought bitterly while retrieving his laptop from the briefcase and turning it on. _Why the Hell did I put myself into this position anyway?!_

    Glancing downwards at the flickering blue light of his screen, Seto immediately grit his teeth and secretly wished that his dignity would allow him to vomit.

__

MOKUBA! He must have been playing around with my laptop again!

    For set as the desktop background and in very plain view of anyone curious enough to notice, was a very large picture of a golden puppy. Glancing around to make sure that no one had seen, he was just about to clear it off when his mind snapped and his own question came echoing back into his mind.

__

~ Why the Hell did I put myself into this position anyway?! ~

"Katsuya…"

    Putting two and two together, the answer was easily as clear as a bell. Seto slammed his fist on the desk; apparently oblivious to the fact that others were still in the library and that he'd just startled ten years off of all of their lives. The librarian stalked over, took one look at the CEO's furious expression, and scolded the innocent student nearest her instead.

_Concern over that nitwit?! Never! Just because his sister starts raving about something that seems a bit serious and involves that simpering canine doesn't mean that I should give a damn, either! In fact, I don't. That irritating thing called curiosity tends to bite everyone once in a while!_

~ Then why were you in the cafeteria in the first place? If it wasn't to watch over the puppy, then what exactly were you doing, then, hm? I doubt that it was to taste that school's marvelous food. ~

    Seto stared at the screen, narrowing his eyes in frustration at the seemingly harmless picture. The puppy stared back, head cocked to one side, the golden fur and playful demeanor reminding him of the very person that he **didn't** want invading his thoughts.

"I'm grounding Mokuba until he's twenty." He growled softly.

~*~  


    Situated in the center of the school was a small field, not the large one used for physical education, but more as a place where students could hang out. Amidst the grass and weeds, a few large trees grew from the ground, their twisted trunks rising upward and toward the sun. Beneath several of them were typical wooden benches, some of them covered in graffiti but nevertheless, a perfect place to sit and talk.

    Nervously, Joey led his sister to one of them, allowing her to sit down on the polished wood. But instead of taking a seat for himself, he leaned against the trunk of the tree. The tension between them seemed to grow and worsen until it was finally broken by a single word.

Shizuka turned towards him. "Why?"

    Joey, his eyes focused on the grass near his feet, said nothing for awhile. Just merely stood there, shuffling his feet and having a mental debate.

"So you know, then." He mumbled.

"Yes. Mother finally told me. But I believe she was a little late in doing so." She replied, slight bitterness in her voice. "But why? Why hadn't either one of you told me?"

Another lie easily fell from his lips, a habit formed from much practice. "I don't know. She just told me never to tell, that's all."

    She stood and went to stand before him, trying to catch his gaze. She believed him. He knew she would. Shizuka trusted him too much. And although she was his sister and one of the best at detecting lies from her brother, Joey had had too much experience on the matter…From needing to lie to his closest friends nearly every other day.

"Joey…You should have kept that money…Kept it for yourself. It could have helped you. I didn't need it…" Shizuka started, fresh tears forming in her eyes.

"No." Joey snapped back, finally raising his head to look at her. "Don't think like that. Being blind for the rest of your life is the same as being dead. At least this way one of us gets to live, mainly you. I'm nothing much. But you, you can become great one day. What future do I have?"

    But Shizuka wasn't listening. In fact, he had lost her the moment he had raised his head. Her eyes were widened in shock and she had gasped, her left hand lightly covering her mouth. Slowly, she reached upwards with her right hand and gently touched the black bruise on his face. The tears that she had been trying to prevent now flowed freely once again.

    Wincing at the simple gesture, Joey stepped back and looked away almost immediately, realizing his mistake. Before, when she'd first approached him, she was in too much emotional turmoil to notice his physical appearance. But now that she'd gotten her bearings, the ugly mark of hatred on his skin had become clearer than light.

"Who did this?" She whispered, almost murderously. When Joey refused to say anything, she rephrased her sentence, pure venom in her voice. "Did he do this to you? Is he doing this again?"

Suddenly, Joey grinned, almost sheepishly, and turned back towards her. "Well, funny story actually. It's not what you think. I had this weird dream last night and when I woke up, I was tangled in the bed sheets. When I tried to get out of bed, I slipped on my history book and banged my head on the bedpost. I'm so clumsy!"

Shizuka shook her head, soaking up the lie like a sponge. "You're not clumsy, Joey. Just messy."

"Well gee, thanks for rubbing it in." He muttered sarcastically.

    Mere seconds later, she had already reverted back to her depressed mood and gazed up at him, her large solemn eyes sad and serious. He knew what was coming. But instead of having to explain his warped explanation on why he shouldn't have kept the three million all over again, he quickly asked a question of his own.

"Hey, why did mom suddenly up and tell you about it anyway?"

"I'm not too sure about that…I suppose it was the guilt. It started in the attic of our house..."

~ Begin Flashback Sequence ~  


    Shizuka struggled strenuously with a heavy box. Apparently, the box had somehow gotten stuck between the dirty wall and a large wooden cabinet. The dust she aroused from all of her movements became so thick that she suddenly sneezed, falling backwards from the force and the box flying out with her. It landed heavily with a thud on the floor beside her, its contents spilled in a jumbled array of old papers and dirty knickknacks.

    Her mother was cleaning on the far side of the attic, amidst stacked boxes and old furniture. Glancing up, a rag in one hand, a bottle of cleaning solution in the other, and a look of worry on her face, she called out to her fallen daughter.

"Are you okay, Shizuka?"

"Yes." Shizuka sneezed again before sitting up, trying to dust the dirt from her hands and dress.

    After finally regaining her composure, she bent down and slowly collected the scattered items. Lifting a stack of old newspapers, Shizuka found to her mild amusement, an old paper from long ago. Dropping whatever she had in her hands, she gently picked up the single sheet of paper, holding it with the utmost care as if she had just discovered a valuable relic.

    And to her, it was. The white sheet, yellowing with age and curling at the edges, was in fact a watercolor painting that Joey had painted quite a few years ago. She knew it was his by the messy scrawl in the upper left-hand corner that was supposed to be his name and date. Smiling affectionately, she walked over to her mother.

"Hey, mother. Look what I found!"

    Looking up from the ancient picture frame that she had been cleaning, Joey's mother nearly blanched at the sight of the picture that Shizuka held out towards her. It was a typical child's painting, simple, and crude. But nevertheless, it was clear what Joey had pictured in his mind.

    Painted in bright colors, both him and Shizuka stood together in front of the house that they used to live in as a family. On Shizuka's left, stood their mother and on Joey's right, stood their father. And of course, the usual details like a smiling sun, pointy grass, and a giant tree.

    But something was wrong with it. A slight yet crucial detail that would have been completely missed if one did not look closely. All of them should have had a happy face but only Joey's messy painting of himself did not. The picture was dated on the same year his condition had been found.

    Maybe it was the depressing, childish innocence of it, or perhaps the fact that she'd been harboring years of guilt and knew the upcoming death of someone that she knew her daughter loved, Joey's mother looked sadly at her, an ashamed appearance crossing her features.

"Shizuka…I need to tell you something…"

~ End Flashback Sequence ~  


"So, basically, I think it was because of that picture you had painted." Finished Shizuka, a frown appearing on face.

"Really? I can't remember painting that…" Joey stated, scratching the back of his neck. Suddenly, a sharp stab of pain erupted in his head, and he winced. Ignoring it as best he could, he continued. "D-Do you have it with you?"

    His sister looked at him oddly, worriedly, as if she had noticed his pain. But she quickly dismissed it and nodded. There was a small bag she had been carrying all along, a simple blue backpack that no one had noticed because of its insignificance. She reached into it now and pulled out a folder.

    Meanwhile, Joey's pain had intensified. Gripping his head, he fell to his knees, biting his lower lip to keep from crying out. It steadily worsened, nearly becoming as agonizing as the day before, when his father had struck him. And to Joey, it felt rather like something was trying to claw right out of his head or some angry child was inside banging a hammer around, instead of it just being a mere headache.

    A second later and he could hardly see Shizuka through his watery eyes, kneeling next to him in worry. Her lips moved, but somehow he couldn't hear what she was saying or feel her hand resting on his shoulder. A few moments passed and nothing changed. Joey barely realized the fact when she began to run off for help.

~*~  


    Shizuka ran as fast as she could go, completely bypassing the cafeteria as she went. She hadn't bothered to remember where the main office was in her haste to see her brother as soon as possible. But now she regretted it. And she had no clue as to where the health room was. Instead, she ran practically blindly, hoping to run into a teacher, or at least an adult.

__

Maybe I should have gone back to the cafeteria. She thoughtsadly_. At least there were a lot of people there and most likely teachers too._

    A few minutes of searching came up with nothing. But although devastated, Shizuka still ran. Somehow, she'd made her way into some hallway where student's lockers lined each wall. Thinking she'd seen an adult turn a corner at the far end, she put on a burst of speed and caught up with the person.

    Except that it wasn't a teacher. It was one of the students, Seto Kaiba. Shizuka, not knowing who he was and having no other option; was obliged to ask him for help. Running up to him, she tugged desperately on his sleeve.

"Please, you have to help me!" She pleaded when he turned to her. His face held an annoyed expression but quickly changed into surprise when he realized who she was. "It's my brother, something's wrong! And I can't find an adult to help me anywhere! Please, h-he's in pain!"

    Seto's mind halted. Something was wrong with Joey. He may hate the guy but he's still a human being. Looking at the sobbing girl, he knew that he had to act fast.

"Your brother, he's Joey, right?" She nodded. "I know him. Hurry, show me where he is."

    Immediately, she sprinted off back the way she came and he followed. For the first time ever, Seto started to feel worried towards someone that wasn't Mokuba.

"Stupid mutt." He muttered under his breath.

~ To Be Continued ~  
  
~*~

Demonic Angel: Yay! I finished another chapter! I'm so proud of myself!

Yami: And it's been, what? A month?!

Demonic Angel: Well SORRY for being a naturally slow writer. You people are lucky that I actually got it out this fast!

Yami: Well, I guess you're right…Considering the fact that it took you nearly six months just to type the first chapter…

Demonic Angel: You know, you DIDN'T have to tell them. Now my reputation's ruined. *sniffle* Besides, the reviews actually inspired me! Now I know how other authors feel when positive reviews flood their fic. I'm so happy! Thanks to all of you! I wasn't expecting 25 reviews!

Seto: ::rolls his eyes and switches the television on:: Mushy crap…

Otogi (on the tv screen): *pointing to the dog suit wearing Joey* Ha! You have to stay quiet unless I say so! ::hits Joey with one of his dice:: Sit, dog!

Joey (on the tv screen): ::whimpers in pain and is forced to sit::

Seto: What the f*ck?! That a**hole! ::jumps at the tv and smashes the screen in with his fist:: How dare he steal what's rightfully mine! I'm going to march right over there, kick his soon to be sorry a**, and make him wish that he never saw **my** puppy!

Yugi: ::is holding onto Seto's arm:: No, Kaiba! You can't! He's our friend now!

Seto: WHAT?! First of all, he's YOUR friend! And second, he deserves to get that arrogant ego of his squashed into a bloody pulp! ::marches out with Yugi still hanging onto him, dragging on the floor::

Yami: Hey, come back here! That's MY aibou you're dragging with you! ::runs after them::

Readers (if any): O.o

Demonic Angel: Thank Ra that Joey hadn't heard any of this. -_-; Let's just all hope that Otogi's still alive after Seto's done with him…Which I seriously and highly doubt. ^-^

?????????: Hi!

Demonic Angel: What the Hell?! WHO LET HER OUT?! Now I have to introduce her!!!

Joey: ::walks in looking embarrassed:: Well…I kind of forgot that she was locked in your closet…And I was sort of hoping to find your secret stash of candy…And…And…

Demonic Angel: ::sighs:: Nevermind…Your damn puppy eyes are too strong. Well, everybody, meet my aibou. Unfortunately, I turned out to be too evil to have my own yami so I got her…She's everything I DON'T want to be, thank Ra. I named her Lacrimare, for those of you who know Latin.

Lacrimare: Hello! ::waves happily and twirls around in her pink dress::

Anzu: *snicker* But if she's everything you aren't, then that must mean that she's got to have loads of appealing qualities for a person! Like generosity and kindness and…

Demonic Angel: Maybe so but one of her bad traits is that she loves to cheat. I dare you to challenge her to a game of poker. =P *whispering* But her absolute worst trait is that she's somewhat like you!

Anzu: WHAT?! I heard that!

~*~  


    You know, I am so f*cking pissed, right now! Have any of you read SSJ SKY's work? I can't believe that they deleted her fic, A Distant Promise off of ff.net for no reason, whatsoever! How dare they do that to, in my opinion, one of the best Yugioh fanfiction writers to ever grace ff.net!!!

Readers (if any): …

    ::narrows eyes in suspicion:: If any of you haven't read her fics or don't even know who she is, I suggest you to stop reading my sorry excuse for a fic right now and go cheer her up with lots of reviews! If you don't, I will personally see to it that your intestines are wound around the tree in my front yard like Christmas lights!!!

Readers (if any): O_O ::a few mysteriously disappear::

    *Ahem* Now where was I? Oh yes. I am very aware of the fact that I sort of went off track somewhere in the middle of the fic. Sorry. Anyone notice yet? There always seems to be a scene where someone's playing with their food…*sweatdrop*

Bakura: Yes and your stupid tic tac toe tournament reduced me to a weakling!

Ryou: *whispering* He lost against Yami.

Bakura: *glare*

    Ehehehe…ANYWAY, looks like Yami Megami (no, you are not stupid) and Vera were right. It did turn out to be Shizuka! ^__^ And not to worry, Alena and Soliflame! I won't let Joey die!…But on the other hand…It would make a very depressing and dramatic ending…Hehehe…

P.S. – Again, if anyone finds any unintended spelling errors in here, let me know and I'll go beat my head with a stick for failing to see it…And I do apologize for any traces of other yaoi pairings…It somehow snuck in when I wasn't looking. I'll try to keep it to a bare minimum, though. Unless of course, if people WANT to see more of it…


	3. Questions Raised, Omitted Answers

The Grains Of Time  
Written By Demonic Angel

Rating ~ R  
Possible lemon in future chapters.  
Genre ~ Angst, Romance  
(It SHOULD be in the drama section too but ff.net doesn't allow a third subcategory!)  
Pairing ~ Joey/Seto, minor hints of others.  
Disclaimer ~ I do not own any of the characters used in this work of fanfiction. I merely borrow the characters for my own distorted fun. I do, however, own the plot. Please ask permission to use it.

Summary ~  
For nine years, a depressing secret had been kept in the dark. When it can no longer be concealed, Joey is forced to face the devastating truth. All of his hope had long since been lost and although his friends refuse to believe it, there is nothing that they can do.

Warning ~  
Please be aware of severe depression and slight violence.  
Also, yaoi pairings (male x male relationships) are present and focused on.  
Please read with caution.

    Sorry for the long delay, everyone. December wasn't the best of months, unfortunately. I had been banned from all computer use for nearly three weeks simply because I hadn't been studying enough. So January was the only time I had to work on this. Pity me. -_-' But don't get me wrong, I solemnly vow to finish all of my fics, no matter how long it takes. So don't think I'm dead if I've disappeared for awhile. ^-^

    Oh, and about the difference between malignant and benign tumors…It's true that malignant tumors are more life threatening. But when I inquired and researched on it, I found that a person with a malignant brain tumor at its lowest level of severity could only live about six years untreated, six months at its advanced level. So I'm guessing/hoping that benign tumors, while not immediately considered dangerous, could eventually grow large enough to be fatal. Joey would be dead by now if he'd had a malignant tumor since 7.

BUT, I might (most likely) be wrong. So…Don't take all of this seriously.

Chapter Three  
Questions Raised, Omitted Answers

    They found him, curled up into a ball on his side, his lip bleeding. Joey had nearly bitten right through it in his attempt to bear the pain. Anguish filled Shizuka's heart as she gazed at him, wishing that she had the ability to quell his pain. Trembling, she dropped down beside him and ran a nervous hand through his blonde locks, hoping that the person she'd brought might be able to help him.

"It's okay, Joey. I found somebody. You're going to be all right."

    But for once in his life, Seto was confused. Kneeling on the grass, he placed his palm on Joey's forehead, then mentally cursed when he felt the cold sweat. It was apparent that the boy was in pain, and suffering. But what wasn't apparent was the cause of it. Seto had already noted that the blonde didn't appear to have any physical injuries other than the bruise on his face. Nothing life threatening, anyway. Even his limited knowledge on medical treatment wouldn't be of any help in their current situation.

Frustrated, he glanced towards Shizuka. "Why is he like this? Do you have any idea on what happened?"

    The younger girl bit her lip and glanced nervously at her brother's face. The sentence, '_Should I tell?_' kept repeating itself in her mind. It was after all, Joey's affairs. She was torn between respect for her brother's privacy and his life.

"Well?"

    Stuck in confusion and unsure of what to do, Shizuka closed her eyes, prepared to voice the reason for Joey's pain. But a clammy hand suddenly gripped tightly around her wrist and a quick glance at her older sibling's face revealed pleading amber eyes. He didn't want her to say anything.

"I-I don't know. I-It just started on its own." She stuttered nervously, unused to telling lies. _At least half of it is true._ She silently consoled herself.

    The brunette sighed, worried; concern flooding his senses. He was practically on the verge of panicking although his face didn't show it. His sharp eyes had not missed Shizuka's brief hesitation or the firm grip that Joey had clamped around her wrist. But it wasn't exactly the right time to be contemplating thoughts and reactions. Not when his puppy was laying curled on the ground in pain.

****

His _puppy?_ Seto mentally slapped himself. _This is not the right time to turn insane, you idiot!_

"I'm calling for emergency help." He muttered.

    Standing up, he reached into his pocket and drew out his cellphone. But just as he contacted the local hospital, Joey slowly felt the throbbing pain recede. His surroundings eventually swam back into focus and his grip on Shizuka's wrist loosened. Cautiously, he pulled himself into a sitting position, to his younger sister's great relief.

"Wha-What happened? What's Kaiba doing?" He mumbled tiredly, his hands rubbing his temples.

Shizuka reached into her backpack and pulled a white handkerchief out. "He's getting some medical aid for you." She said as she gently wiped the blood from Joey's mouth.

Immediately, he stood up, ignoring the sudden dizzy feeling he felt afterwards and his sister's instant protest. "What?! No! I don't need to go to some hospital! I don't need help! Nothing happened! It was just a minor headache!"

"But Joey!" Shizuka cried, jumping up, the bloodied cloth falling from her hand. "You need medical attention!"

He glared back at her, a silent message in his eyes, emphasizing each word as he spoke it. "No, I don't." She flinched.

    After overhearing the two siblings and realizing that the blonde would survive, Seto canceled the call. Slowly he walked over to Joey, the skeptical look on his face clearly saying that he didn't believe the blonde's words at all. Placing warm fingers beneath his chin, the tall brunette gently tilted the shorter boy's face to scrutinize the still bleeding wound on his lower lip.

"At least allow the nurse to put stitches on this." He muttered gently, eyes narrowed.

Joey's amber eyes widened in surprise. _No way…He's not actually *concerned*…is he? Wait. No, of course not. This is Kaiba for God's sake! He probably just wants me kept alive so that he has someone to torture. Yeah, that's right. What other reason could it be?…Dad always says that I'm worthless._

    Nevertheless, he couldn't fight down the blush that rose onto his face before managing a barely discernible nod. He'd never been this close in proximity to Seto before; not unless he was trying to physically harm the other. It felt awkward, to say the least.

__

…He looks adorable when he blushes like that… Seto mused. An entire second passed. _WHAT THE FUCK?! Oh that is IT. You are definitely going on a vacation soon. Kaiba Corp.'s finally made you crack._

    Abruptly he pulled away, embarrassed, and Joey couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed at the loss of his touch. Shizuka cocked her head questioningly to one side.

"So that's Seto Kaiba?" She inquired. "I didn't know you two were friends. Didn't you say in one of your letters that he was an insensitive corporate jerk?"

    The two boys immediately froze. In other words, the infamous calm before the storm. Then all at once, Shizuka found herself in the middle of a heated argument of insults. She shook her head in disapproval as they verbally fought and bent to pick up her backpack.

"ME _friends_ with HIM?! Never! He IS an insensitive corporate jerk!" Joey shouted, flushing angrily.

"You insolent mutt!" Seto fumed. "I am NOT insensitive, nor am I a jerk. But why should I bother wasting my breath on you? There's no use in trying to talk some sense into a brainless, naïve, little, puppy!"

"Better than being a Neanderthal like you!" He retorted.

"Oh God. You actually KNOW a word that long, much less the meaning of it?! I'm impressed!" The older boy replied, faking shock.

"Why you-!"

    Raising his fist in a threatening manner, Joey was about to pounce on Seto when he felt Shizuka's grip on the back of his jacket begin to drag him in the opposite direction and effectively preventing his planned assault. (Which was probably for the best.)

"Shizuka-!"

"NO, Joey. Your lip is STILL bleeding! You're not going anywhere until you get that fixed. You need to see the nurse. Now either you tell me where the health room is or I'm going to find that Yugi friend of yours and tell _him_…"

    At that point, both their voices became inaudible and Seto found himself only able to observe Joey's reaction of sheer panic. But for all he knew at the moment, he couldn't care less what the blonde idiot was begging of his sister. Joey's insults kept echoing in his head, stinging him emotionally much more than he was used to.

__

What an asinine! For that idiot to go blabbing insults like that about me when he's not much better himself?! That little arrogant…

    Seto crossed his arms and scowled, infuriated. But when his gaze fell to the ground, his glare instantly faded and his anger replaced with something that felt suspiciously like concern. Kneeling, he picked up the white handkerchief that Shizuka had forgotten to pick up, still partially soaked in Joey's blood. At the far end of the field, small groups of students were just beginning to trickle out of the cafeteria.

"Minor headache my ass. It takes a lot more than that to draw blood like this." He said to himself.

_Whatever it is, it must be an internal problem…I'll have to admit, you've gotten pretty good at lying, Katsuya. You may have fooled all of your friends but I'm not as gullible as that. You're hiding the truth behind deception and one day, it'll explode in your face and you'll be left, picking up the pieces._

    Standing, he tucked the drying cloth into his uniform pocket and proceeded to head to his next class.

~*~

    After leaving the field, they'd managed to reach another hall in a building nearby, unfamiliar to his sister but easily recognizable to Joey. He trudged along behind her, more than just a bit reluctant and stubborn to get his wound checked out. But knowing Shizuka, she would probably never stop pestering him until he did.

"Okay, fine! I'll show you where to find the stupid nurse." Joey sulked, finally giving in to his sister's demand as he wiped more blood from his lip with his sleeve. "Just please, don't tell Yugi, or anyone for that matter, about my condition. I don't want them to worry."

Shizuka instantly paused and turned to stare at him. "If your friends are as loyal and supportive as you've told me they are, then they would much rather share this pain with you than watch you suffer alone. Why are you denying them the truth?" She asked softly.

    Joey immediately found the floor very interesting as he stood beside her. Who knew that a little cluster of tiny ants attacking a dead cockroach could be so fascinating?

__

She's right. Am I truly wrong to keep them from knowing about this? But…I don't want them to be concerned about me. Not after all they've already done for me in the past…I should be the least of their worries! It's not like I have a chance at surviving, anyway.

"You won't be able to hide your signs forever, onii-chan." She continued gently. The little ants were just beginning to drag the dead corpse away, causing the insect to seem as if it were still alive.

__

…Maybe so…But I've got to prolong their knowing of it for as long as I can…It's the least I can do for them.

"I know but…I still don't want them to know, not yet anyway."

    Tears once again began to gather at her eyes and with a sob, Shizuka flung herself forward and tightly hugged her dying brother. Several students passed by, but barely gave them three seconds of a glance.

"I love you, onii-chan." She whispered.

"I know. I love you too." He replied, hugging her back. "…But we should probably go find that nurse now. The janitor would freak if he found blood all over his clean floor…And I think you've just stepped on that dead roach."

    Clearly, he was exaggerating on how much his lip could bleed. The flow had slowed to the extent where it almost looked as if it'd stopped. And as they walked away, the mushy insides of whatever bugs they stepped on were smeared unnoticed on the tile floor. Possibly twenty lives were killed in three seconds. But do we really care?

~*~

    It was the last period and nearly an hour had passed before Joey was allowed to go back to his class. And even that had been a miracle. For the lady that had been sewing up his injury kept insisting strongly for him to go home and give it time enough to heal.

    But Joey had firmly refused, afraid to even think on what his father would do should he come home early due to an injury. Managing to convince both the lady and his sister that he couldn't miss another class on account of his already failing grade, he walked out of the health room with a written excuse on why he was late while Shizuka reluctantly left to go back home.

    Or in this case, the apartment that she'd rented to stay in for the rest of her visit. Fortunately, she was too courteous to impose on staying with her brother, and he was secretly extremely grateful for it.

    Minutes later on his arrival, he handed the note in and sauntered to his seat, ignoring the surprised looks from his friends and fellow classmates at his appearance.

/Yami?! Yami, look! What happened to Joey?!/ Yugi mentally wailed, completely taking the five thousand year old pharaoh by surprise. He could vaguely hear a distinct yelp, a thud, and then several more crashes, as if Yami had painfully fallen off of (or over) various things. /Oops…/

//Um, aibou?//

/Yes?/ Yugi replied, much too innocently.

//Could you clean up your soul room?! Not only are these toys disturbing to see in the mind of a sixteen year old, but they are hazardous to my health!//

/There's not only toys in there, you know./ Explained Yugi, temporarily distracted from Joey's injury. /In a far corner, there should be a whole mess of thoughts about Duel Monsters and homework. Besides, I'm going to be seventeen in a few days./

//What about my HEALTH?!// Complained Yami, but with a playful tone in his voice. //As soon as I heard you yelling, I ran in here, _completely_ worried about you, only to trip on that damn doll over there, step on a bunch of marbles, then fall into this stupid pile of colored blocks! And this is the thanks I get for being concerned?!//

/Now that you mention it, what was that first thud about, after you yelped? You didn't explain that one./

//…Uh…I sort of fell off of my chair…But that's NOT the point!//

Yugi laughed. /Fell asleep during the lecture, did you?/ Then suddenly, he became serious. /But you're right. That isn't the point. I'm just really worried about Joey…I mean, just look at his face! No wonder he was missing./

//How can I when you're staring at the blackboard?//

/Oh, right./ Yugi turned his head slightly to look at Joey, who happened to be sitting next to him on his right.

//…Ra, what happened to him? He seems to be getting a lot of 'accidental' injuries lately.//

/I have no idea. I'll definitely ask him later, though…Did you happen to hear on what next week's test will be about?/

//I was asleep, remember?//

/…Crud./

~*~

    Sighing wearily, Joey kicked a random pebble on the sidewalk, trying to distract himself from his thoughts. As soon as the school bell had rung, all three of his closest friends had crowded around him and started demanding answers to their questions.

    They'd all wanted to know what had happened and Honda had even accused him of being in a fight without him. He couldn't, of course, tell them the real reason why he had needed stitches so he'd lied, telling them that he'd tripped on a stairwell on his way to class. All the while sincerely hoping that they wouldn't learn anything about it from Seto.

"Knowing him, he probably wouldn't say a word to us even if his life depended on it. I guess that's one good thing about that egotistical idiot." 

    Feeling unusually depressed, he sighed again, dreading as usual, the moment that he would have to walk through the door of his home. Luckily, the glass shards and wooden splinters that had pierced his feet and right arm the day before hadn't been that deep and he'd hardly felt the pain as he'd gone through his day. But he didn't care to get anymore. The supply of bandages and antiseptic that he kept hidden under the bathroom sink were dwindling as it is.

__

~ You really should hurry, then. Need I remind you of what will happen if you are late? ~

    Disliking the fact that his own mind would chastise himself, Joey frowned before quickening his stride. A mere fifteen minutes later and the familiar building came into view. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance. What had to be the absolute most irritating thing about it was that it didn't look bad from the outside. In fact, any normal passerby would have deemed it as normal as the rest. It was the inside that was a whole other matter. To him, even his house seemed to mock his personality, indifferent on the outside, chaotic on the inside.

__

What a joyful place to live. He thought sarcastically. _I think I'd be happier homeless._

    Stepping up to the door, he unlocked it before instantly preparing to walk through the living room as if it were a minefield, afraid to even make the slightest of noise for fear of alerting his father of his arrival. So it was to his surprise that upon walking across the threshold, he found the aforementioned man to be lying unconscious in the middle of the floor, a large assortment of trash scattered all around him. It didn't look like he'd be waking up anytime soon.

_Thank God!_

"Well this must be pure luck." Joey muttered quietly as he tiptoed down the hall to his room.

    Extremely relieved and glad at the prospect of a quiet late afternoon, he settled on the floor and took a few hours to finish some schoolwork before jumping into the shower.

__

It's interesting how several undisturbed hours can do wonders for your neglected homework. He thought dryly as he rinsed the suds from his hair. _I was actually able to complete that long English assignment that was due three months ago._

    While he was drying himself off though, a sudden idea occurred to him and he quickly got dressed and left. Before Shizuka had left him at the school, she'd given him the address to the building that she'd be staying at along with her room number. He never did get to see the picture he'd painted and anything was sure better than waiting for his father to wake up.

~*~

    The meeting at Kaiba Corp. had lasted nearly three hours and Seto felt exhausted. For some ungodly reason, the idiots that worked for him just couldn't seem to take it into their heads that when he said, "No, I do not want my company to develop that product." he meant it. For hours he had to sit listening to them explain about how it's development could 'improve' business and peruse market diagrams that meant nothing to him.

__

What IMBECILES! I have REALLY got to change the process that they use to hire new employees. Those idiot underlings are completely USELESS.

    Groaning, he slammed the front door closed and prepared himself for the inevitable arrival of his younger sibling.

"Hi big brother! Did you get my email?!" Mokuba cried out happily as he barreled himself into Seto.

    The brunette smiled then frowned slightly at his younger brother's comment. He easily pried Mokuba from the death grip hug around his waist and set him on the ground in front of him.

"Mokuba, you know that I'm always getting emails from other companies and deleting them. It's probably already been put into the trash can by mistake."

The black haired youth smiled innocently. "Thought so. That's why I changed your desktop background! Did you see that?"

    Immediately, Seto began to feel his left eye twitch in irritation. His blue orbs darkened involuntarily as he remembered the secret humiliation that he had felt from it.

__

Calm down, Seto…This is your little brother here. At least give him a chance to explain before making his life completely miserable…

"And WHY exactly did you go messing with my laptop?!" The already irate CEO asked.

Mokuba's grin widened considerably. "Well…I was thinking…my birthday's coming up soon…and…" Seto raised an eyebrow. "Can we get a puppy?!" He blurted out.

"WHAT?!" The brunette practically shouted, his face flushing an unnatural red.

"Well…" Replied Mokuba, drawing out the word as his brother glowered at him. "Puppies are cute! My friend got one the other day and it's just not fair! Please can we get one? Please, please, please?"

    If looks could kill, Mokuba would be long dead and buried at the center of the earth by now. As it was, Seto placed his suitcase on a nearby corner table before stepping towards his younger brother, looking about ready to strangle him. Very unlike the caring big brother he had always been.

__

Uh-oh…Better start running. Thought Mokuba. With a loud "Eep!" he took off running down the hall, Seto close at his heels.

"Come back here, Mokuba!" Seto shouted. "You know, I was going to ground you until you were twenty. But now, you can just forget about it! You're grounded for the rest of your life!"

__

Puppies cute?! My ASS!

__

~ Uh-huh, suuure…Just keep telling yourself that. ~

Shut up, shut up, shut UP! Someone get this damn voice out of my head!

~*~

    Dropping a bulky box onto a table, Shizuka paused momentarily to look at the digital clock on her desk before diving into its contents. There was much that she'd brought with her from her home to the temporary one here. Many of it things that she wanted to give or show to Joey. Almost immediately, the first things that she pulled out were picture frames and old photo albums. Setting them aside, she drew out more items. Some necessary, others just mere knickknacks that she couldn't do without; such as a teddy bear that she'd been given on her fifth Christmas from Joey.

    These, she carefully arranged around her apartment until the box was empty before going to pick up another one, when the doorbell suddenly rang. Smiling, she opened the door to greet her brother. After all, he was the only one that she'd given her address to, so far.

"Hi, Shizuka! Mind if I visit?" He grinned.

"Of course not!" She replied happily. Then she cringed. "It's a mess in here though. I've only just started sorting through my things."

"What?! Why didn't you tell me? Then I could've come here earlier and helped you out." Stepping in, he assessed the situation of the room before realizing the absence of a certain person and frowned.

"Why isn't mom here?" He asked with a voice that suggested he didn't care.

Shizuka shifted uncomfortably, an innocent look of sad confusion appearing in her eyes. "She…She didn't want to come. I don't know why…I tried to convince her but…I'm sorry Joey."

__

Figures. He snorted quietly before turning back to Shizuka with sudden concern.

"It doesn't matter…But what about you? Are you sure you can live here by yourself? You don't have to stay here if you don't want to."

"What are you talking about?!" She looked at him in horror. "Of COURSE I want to stay here! I believe I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Joey." She giggled. "I don't think I need you to baby sit me anymore."

"Hmph."

    Sticking his nose up into the air as if offended, Joey stalked over to the nearest box, plopped it onto the table, and pulled out the first thing he saw with a skeptical eyebrow raised.

"You _still_ have this?!" He questioned, waving the small blue blanket slightly. "Didn't this used to be my favorite when I was a kid?"

Shizuka laughed and nodded. "Yep, you used to drag it with you everywhere! I wonder what your friends would say if they knew you never used to go anywhere without your favorite security blanket?!"

Joey paled. Instantly, an unwanted image of a smirking Seto flashed through his mind. "Breathe a word about my personal life as a kid to ANYONE and you can kiss Frou-Frou good bye." He smirked, bringing out a stuffed white kitten and twisting its head threateningly in his hands.

"Joey, NO!" She cried, eyes wide. "You wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I?" He grinned, tightening his grip.

"Oh, come on, Joey! I was only joking! Give Frou-Frou back! I'll tell mother!" She wailed.

He gasped and stared at her with large, watery eyes. "You would tell on me?

"Onii-chan!"

"All right, all right. Here." Joey laughed.

    Immediately, she snatched it from his hands and hugged it to her chest. She was too embarrassed to admit it but Frou-Frou, among all other things, was her most prized possession. Joey had also given her that one, but it had been her very first birthday present, when Joey himself was only four. Sighing, she gently placed the old plush onto a bookshelf. Despite what all children are known to do to their toys, Frou-Frou had managed to stay intact over the many years and the artificial fur glistened white from a recent wash.

    Meanwhile, Joey had been pulling more things from the box when he suddenly found a new calendar at the very bottom. Pulling it out, he quickly skimmed through the bright pages, briefly noting the marked off days when he came across June. A brown bird stared up at him, newly hatched chicks clustered at its feet. But Joey paid no heed to any of that, his eyes instead glued to where the marked days ended on the 2nd.

"It's already June 2?!" He squeaked, eyes widening.

"No, really, Joey. It's September 6, 5010." Shizuka retorted sarcastically, smiling. "Why?"

"Yugi's birthday is the day after tomorrow!" He ran a hand through his locks. "How could I have forgotten?! Thank God I still have a day left before Yugi turns seventeen. What am I going to get him?!"

    Shizuka beamed. The idea of shopping for a gift sounded fun and meant that she could spend more time with her brother. It was the perfect opportunity.

"I know!" She exclaimed. "I'll help you look for it tomorrow! Maybe we can get the rest of your friends to join us, too."

"Great idea!" He replied. "I'll call them up tomorrow morning and let them know. Someone's going to have to distract Yugi though…Probably Yami since he's always with him in that Millennium Puzzle of his. I DID tell you about him, right?"

__

Thank God that I'm paid on Tuesdays. Looks like I'll have to find a way to survive not eating for a couple weeks, though…

"Oh, I just remembered! Can I see that picture I'd painted? I never did get a chance."

"Sure."

    Crossing the room, she picked up the blue backpack off of a beige couch and pulled the folder out. Then upon walking back, she handed him the single watercolor painting in a sheet protector.

He frowned. "I didn't know I could paint this bad. We look more like sticks with heads than anything else."

~*~

    Several pairs of eyes stared angrily from their hidden spot in an alley as the familiar blonde exited the tall building and made his way down the street, gazing thoughtfully at the sky as he went.

"Are you sure we should do this?" A hushed voice asked cautiously.

"Yes." A furious male growled back in reply.

"But, Hirutani, he's too strong! We've tried before!"

"Silence! I will not have cowards working for me!" He glared threateningly at the other boy who immediately shrank back in fear. "Joey WILL come back to us. Besides, you DID get the stuff, right?"

    He nodded before motioning towards the newest member of their group. Instantly, the dark haired youth brought forth two unlabeled bottles from a bag that hung from his shoulder.

"But even if this does work, how will we persuade Joey to rejoin with us?" He asked, handing the bottles to their leader.

"If he doesn't agree to come back with us, then we'll just have to make sure that he learns to regret ever leaving in the first place…But I doubt that will happen. After all, I think we've found his weakness."

    Hirutani smirked, his eyes drifting towards the window in which Shizuka could be plainly seen, trying to hang pink lace curtains against the glass. He gripped the bottled liquids tightly in his hands.

"But why? Why go to all this trouble to get him back?" Another member asked.

He scowled. "Joey was the best fighter we've ever had. But thanks to that shrimp, Mutou, he broke away. He's valuable…And if any of you fail to comply with my orders in his capture, you're dead meat."

They all nodded fervently before the first person that had spoken from the very beginning stepped forward. "Don't worry, Hirutani, we won't. But when do we strike?"

Hirutani frowned, deep in thought. "…Not yet, not now. He's too alert, too able to fight. We'll have to wait until an opportunity presents itself." He looked sharply at the boy who'd asked. "Gorou." He barked, causing the addressed person to jump. "Make sure someone's following him at all times. I want tabs kept on this one. As soon as he's vulnerable enough, we'll attack…with these."

    He held up the two glass containers, allowing the pale moonlight to filter through the liquids. One was black in color but the other looked disturbingly like plain water. The boys glanced at each other, the majority of them having no idea what he held.

"They were both hard to find." Said the dark haired one. "Luckily, a black market dealer in Tokyo had hidden reserves of the stuff and I managed to contact a friend in Thailand who was able to get me the antidote."

"Which one's the poison?" Hirutani asked.

"Nuckmai, the clear one. It's extremely dangerous, though. You could accidentally kill Joey with it. Just the tip of a single needle dipped into the poison is enough to paralyze him for a few hours. A few drops in the bloodstream would be fatal. The other is called Quantay Dojiatung. Drinking about 2 milligrams of it should cancel the effects of the Nuckmai. That one especially came at a high cost."

"As long as they both work. This is much better than that cheap, chloroform shit." He replied, smirking. "At least with this, he won't be able to fight back."

~*~

    The next morning, Joey promptly rolled out of his bed onto the floor. The blaring alarm clock on his nightstand read 4:30 am and with bleary eyes, he went to take a quick shower before phoning his friend. Grinning at the idea of waking him up at this hour, he patiently listened to it ring five times before a slightly dazed Honda picked up.

"H-Hello?"

"Hi, Honda!"

"…Joey…You DO realize that it's 5 am, right?" He replied, yawning.

"Of course I do, knuckle head. But I needed to make this call before leaving to do my rounds. Did you know that Yugi's birthday is tomorrow?"

Immediately, a loud thump was heard as Honda fell to the ground in shock. "WHAT?!"

"Hehe…Looks like I'm not the only one who'd forgotten."

"Well DUH. If he were like you, he'd be running around months before, reminding everyone. But with him, it's like it doesn't even exist!"

"Haha, very funny. Well shut up and listen. I need to get him a gift too so why don't you call up the rest of the gang and we can go look for it after school? Let Yami know so that Yugi won't think it strange when we all leave him behind on some mystery errand."

"All right. But did you have to wake me up now?" He grumbled.

"Yes."

    Smiling, Joey rudely hung up the phone before tiptoeing past his still sleeping father and walking over to a slightly battered bike half buried in the weeds of his front yard.

"Time to go deliver papers and earn my pay." He smiled.

    Quickly he took off down the street, loving the exhilarating feel of the wind rushing past his face. It didn't even occur to him that the person following behind him on a bike of his own could mean anything bad. Especially when the said person had a familiar face.

~*~

    After school, Joey, Shizuka, Ryou, Honda, and Anzu met together by the front gate of Domino High. Yami had agreed to keep Yugi busy while the five of them wandered the mall, getting his gifts. Apparently, organized Ryou and Anzu hadn't forgotten the occasion but they had decided to go with them anyway.

"Well, let's go." Shizuka smiled.

    Slowly, they made their way through the crowded shopping area before settling at an unusual store filled to the brim with foreign products; unfortunately, Bakura chose that time to pop out of his Ring.

"Where the Hell are we?" He demanded, eyeing the many shiny objects under glass counters.

"It's just a store. But oh! Look at the pretty rocks, Bakura!" Ryou answered happily, purposely leading him away from the weapons and jewels display.

    Everyone sweatdropped as the ex tomb robber allowed his hikari to drag him towards a large set of wooden boxes filled with various sorts of colored rocks. Anzu then curiously walked over to a display and laughed.

"This would be good for Yami, don't you think?" She exclaimed, gesturing towards an exact replica of an Egyptian pharaoh's headdress.

Honda peered through the thick glass. "Yeah, if you had like, $300 to spare." He said, pointing at the price tag.

"Speaking of Yami, when IS his birthday? Do you think it's the same as Yugi's?"

"I don't know. Maybe." 

    A beautiful sculpture having caught his eye, Joey had just started walking towards a glass showcase when without warning, his vision became unfocused and he faltered in his step, nearly falling over if Shizuka hadn't latched onto his arm.

"Onii-chan, are you all right?" She asked worriedly.

    Bringing a hand up to his face, he closed his eyes, trying to will the dizziness away. Luckily, it only took a few seconds and he straightened. Quickly, he resumed walking as if nothing had happened.

"Onii-chan?"

"I'm fine now, Shizuka." He smiled reassuringly. "Just a little dizzy, that's all. Nothing serious."

    She gazed doubtfully up at him as he admired the many large crystal carvings of dragons and other mythical creatures.

"Come on, you guys!" Honda called to them from the entrance. "Let's check out the video games!"

~ To Be Continued ~

~*~

~ Notes on This or Upcoming Chapters ~

1. For those of you who were hinting (or asking) there _will_ be a lemon placed somewhere in this fic. Probably near the end if not in the very last chapter. Don't worry, though. I'll give a fair warning on where it'll appear. Wouldn't want to get erased now, would I? ^.^ (*gasp* ff.net erases people's identities! Lol.)

2. Time will start elapsing between certain scenes. I'm sure all of you would be bored beyond death if I described every day to you. So I'll have to jump some months at a time.

3. Before anyone can bombard me with questions on exactly how much a lip can bleed, I have personal experience on the matter. I left a freaking PUDDLE before I even _realized_ that I was bleeding. O.o

4. Nuckmai and Quantay Dojiatung ARE actual liquids with actual effects. Don't think I just made this up. I try to use as much actual information in my fics as I can.

5. Yugi really CAN hear what's going on in their soul rooms…As long as their bond (a.k.a.-connection) is strong. After all, I AM a sucker for the Yugi/Yami pairing. ^.^

6. I'd like to warn all of you beforehand that the next chapter might have a lot of violence. I just can't get enough of Joey angst. It's so cute when Seto's fawning over him afterwards! ^__^

7. I DID find a grammar error in chapter one and managed to cover it up with this chapter. *sigh* Grammar has always been one of my weak points. Oh, and I also found two wrongs that are irreversible: Joey lives in an apartment, not a house. . And all of their school subjects aside from PE, Band, and Science are held in the SAME classroom. (Thus confirming the fact that Joey has every class with Seto.)

8. I know that Seto and Joey are supposed to be around the same height but it's my fic and I say that Joey should be at LEAST six inches shorter! =P

~*~

    Eh…Sorry if this wasn't as angsty or as exciting as it's supposed to be. In fact, this was positively dull in my opinion. -.- I needed to tie up some loose ends in this chapter and start new problems. (Like Katu said, it would be boring if Joey just _waited_ for his death…) I promise that the next chapter will be much more interesting.

    And can everyone pretend that in this fic, Joey's last name is Katsuya? I've just recently found out that Jounouchi really IS Joey's Japanese last name. . And I thought it was his first. It sure seemed that way considering how everyone else was referring to him (a.k.a.-Jou).

    The reason why I've used the Japanese names on everyone except him is because I consider the name Joey to sound cuter than Jou/Jounouchi/Katsuya. But I wasn't sure on what to use for his last name. It would sound weird if his full name was Joey Jounouchi and I absolutely REFUSE to use Wheeler. Katsuya was the only choice left unless I made something up. Sorry for the mishap, everyone. I should have explained earlier. -.-'

P.S. ~ If any of you don't believe me about Katsuya being Joey's FIRST name, then you'd also be contradicting what an overly obsessed friend of mine is saying. She's known Yugioh since it first came out nearly nine years ago and can remember practically all of the original episodes ever aired in Japan. I get most of my information from her. ^.^ She'll probably be reading this later, too.

(You can skip to the end if you don't want to read anymore of my annoying babble!)

~*~

Demonic Angel's Little Corner for Rants and Ramblings

Demonic Angel: I'm sorry. But I'm just REALLY annoyed right now. It seems like everyone thinks that Yugioh is a guy's thing. Apparently, no one's ever checked the fanfiction section.

Ryou: ^-^ Yep. It's like fangirls aren't even accounted for. ^-^

Demonic: And what's REALLY annoying about this whole Yugioh obsession thing is that most kids don't collect because they LIKE the game or show. NO…They collect only so that they can show off. I swear, in the name of all seven Hells, they're going to make it look as bad as Pokemon!

Bakura: Who give's a shit?! I'm tired of listening to you blabber about your problems! When are you going to be done?!

Demonic Angel: Not yet, that's for sure. I have several other things I'd like to point out. ^-^ Has anyone else ever noticed that some of the dubbed names sound like they're subliminally brainwashing us to get low paying jobs…Or is it just me?

Seto: It's probably just you.

Demonic Angel: T.T Shut up. Just listen: Joey _Wheeler_ makes him sound like a car salesman; Tea _Gardner_ sounds like she's a gardener; and Tristan _Taylor_ sounds like he's…Well, a tailor. Just think of all the little kids who idolize these characters!

Seto: So? Who the Hell would idolize the puppy anyway? They must be idiots in the first place to follow an idiot.

Joey: *glare* I am NOT an idiot.

Seto: Oh, but you don't mind being a puppy? *smirk* At least you finally admitted it.

Joey: *death glare* You know, it's comments like those that drove me to stab you in the other fic. Care to relive that scene again?

Seto and Joey: ::continue to bicker in the background::

Readers (if any): O_o *sweatdrop*

Demonic Angel: -_-' ANYWAY, moving on…Bakura?

Bakura: WHAT?!

Demonic Angel: Is it true that you only keep strong cards in your deck? ^-^

Bakura: Of COURSE, you MORON! Why would I put otherwise?!

Demonic Angel: Then…Why was the Happy Lover card in your deck when you read Pegasus' soul? ^.^

Bakura: …It's Ryou's fault! That's his card, HIS!

Ryou: MY fault?! You know you have control over my body practically 90% of the time! You had PLENTY of chances to get rid of it. Besides, I didn't even know we HAD that card!

Bakura: Well how ELSE do you tell fortunes?! I'd like to see YOU try and read someone's soul with only fiend monsters!

Ryou: AHA! So you DO admit to owning the card!

Bakura and Ryou: ::continue to bicker in the background::

Anzu: Has anyone seen my Happy Lover card? I can't seem to find it. What's Joey, Ryou, Seto, and Bakura fighting about now?

Readers (if any): …

Demonic Angel: *sigh* Yes, I do seem to have an uncanny ability to start fights. Let's ignore them for the time being and get back on track. Did anyone know that WB seems to use the same voices for multiple characters? In a single episode of Pokemon, I could have sworn that I heard Mai, Shizuka, Weevil, and Seto.

Lacrimare: Your point being…? And didn't you already know about Seto?

Demonic Angel: Yes, I knew. I just find it oddly disturbing and unoriginal. ^-^

Readers (if any): *anime fall*

Anzu: Has anyone heard me, at all?! I'm looking for my Happy Lover card!

Lacrimare: ::smiling sweetly:: Bakura must have stolen it in order to add it to his deck. Remember, honesty is ALWAYS the best policy. He is, after all, a thief. =^-^=

Bakura: Why you rotten little…! I am a TOMB robber! TOMB!

Anzu: Bakura! I know you're jealous of my deck but resorting to stealing is NOT what friends do! We should always be able to trust one another, that's what friendship's all about!

Bakura: JEALOUS?! FRIENDS?! ::pulls out an Egyptian dagger before running after Anzu and Lacrimare:: DIE you little freaks!

Ryou: Bakura! Be nice! ::grabs onto the back of his shirt and proceeds to drag him out of the room::

Bakura: NOOO! I want to kill them! Let go of me! ::disappears around a corner kicking and screaming::

Seto and Joey: ::are still bickering in the background::

Demonic Angel: …I think…That I should go…now. Maybe I should hang around Yugi, Yami, and Honda more often…Might be less insane that way. *sweatdrop*

Lacrimare: I seriously doubt that. =^.^=

Demonic Angel: Why?

Lacrimare: Because we'd be following you. ^-^

All: ::nods in agreement::

Demonic Angel: You do and you die. I'm not considered insane and demonic for nothing. *glare* Unfortunately for you guys, a blue fairy didn't designate a little cricket to be my conscience.

Readers (if any): …

Demonic Angel: And as for YOU, my dear readers (if any)...

Readers (if any): ::Backs away in sudden fear::

Demonic Angel: Thanks SO MUCH for the reviews! I practically live on them. ^.^

Seto: Actually, you only got that many because you let them accumulate for so long!

Demonic Angel: …I can't believe that I idolize YOU…Of all people…

Seto: WHAT?! I'm a GREAT role model! Isn't that right, everyone?!

All: … 


	4. Unable To Cry

**The Grains Of Time**  
Written By Unable To Cry  
(Formerly known as Demonic Angel.) 

**Rating: **R  
Lemon in a future chapter.  
**Genre: **Angst, Romance  
**Pairing: **Seto/Joey, minor hints of others.  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters used in this work of fanfiction. I merely borrow the characters for my own distorted fun. I do, however, own the plot. Please ask permission to use it.

**Summary:  
**For nine years, a depressing secret had been kept in the dark. When it can no longer be concealed, Joey is forced to face the devastating truth. All of his hope had long since been lost and although his friends refuse to believe it, there is nothing that they can do.

**Warning:**  
Please be aware of severe depression and violence.  
Also, yaoi pairings (male x male relationships) are present and focused on.  
Please read with caution.

Um…Hello? ::looks sheepishly out at the tombstones of all the waiting readers that have died from old age:: …Sorry…?

**Joey: **SEE! Now look at what you've done! Who'll read this now?!

**Seto: **For once, I agree with the blonde mutt. (**Joey: **HEY!) All of your readers have probably _lost faith_ by now, if they haven't died, that is.

-sob- I AM sorry. Forgive me? -sob- I'll finish my fics even if it kills me! (**Seto:** And it probably will...) -glare-

Also, I sincerely thank each and every one of you for the reviews. I know that, without them, I probably would have deleted myself off of a long time ago. Thanks, all of you. I mean it. I hate to admit it, but I can't help feeling as if you wonderful reviewers/readers are the only source of recognition and support that I have. It's for love of you that I managed to get out of this prolonged depression that prevented me from writing and get back to working. Please don't give up on me.

-x-

Chapter Four  
_Unable To Cry_

Needless to say, Yugi was very surprised that his friends even remembered his birthday. He'd always been the selfless and modest one. He certainly wasn't expecting a group of classmates to swamp him the instant he arrived to school on the morning of his birthday.

"Yugi! You're finally here! Happy birthday!" A large flat gift was promptly thrust into his face along with a lot of jostling and fighting from other people.

"Ack!" He stumbled in surprise, wildly flailing his arms in a desperate attempt to regain his balance and his sense of comprehension.

For one thing, he felt extremely squashed. People pressed towards him from all sides and all he wanted at that moment was personal space. But unfortunately, he realized that he wouldn't be able to get out on his own. With the item in front of his face, he couldn't see anything but ribbons and colored wrapping.

Of course one could also never forget Yugi's significant height difference which always seemed to put him at a major disadvantage. He was quite positive that he would be trampled to death at the tender age of seventeen. He could just imagine the next morning's headlines: "Young teen squashed by rampaging gift-givers!"

"Oi, people! Move aside so Yugi can have some room to breathe!"

"Yeah! Are you trying to smother him or something?!"

Reluctantly, the small crowd parted and Joey stood there, as regal as Moses himself. As usual, his blonde locks were messy; his clothes in dire need of an iron, and his grin so bright that no one would be able to guess the true reality of his life behind closed doors. Beside him stood Honda and Ryou, each bearing their own honest smiles, testaments to their easy-going lifestyles.

"Awww…But Onii-chan! He's so cute! I can't believe that he's still this short!" Shizuka gushed, gazing at him with wide eyes. "Are you sure he's turning seventeen?!"

Indeed, this exclamation triggered an onslaught of agreement from the surrounding group, which, Yugi found to his embarrassment, were mostly girls from his class.

"Well, I-Um…" Blushing, Yugi painfully stumbled over his words.

--I didn't know you were this popular with the girls, aibou.-- Yami chuckled mentally.

/I didn't know either!/ He protested.

Joey rolled his eyes as he approached them, Honda following. "Don't mind her, Yugi. It's my fault. She had some of my coffee this morning while walking to school." At the shorter boy's questioning gaze, he elaborated. "Long story, actually. To make it simple, she didn't want me drinking so much coffee. I didn't want to waste it. We compromised by each of us drinking half."

"And coffee makes Shizuka hyper?" Honda questioned, intrigued.

"Since mom's rarely ever let her drink the stuff, she's actually gotten quite sensitive to its effects."

"No I'm not!" Shizuka sulked, mock glaring at her older brother.

"See?"

"Onii-chan!"

Yugi grinned, glad for the distraction. Sadly, it didn't last long. Anzu quickly stepped forward and shoved that same familiar flat gift in front of his face.

"Here Yugi! You didn't open your present yet!" She beamed.

He smiled and took it from her as they all walked to their classroom. Upon opening it though, he had to bite his lip to prevent a laugh from escaping. Apparently, Anzu had stuck to the popular belief that handmade gifts were more valuable. It was obvious that no one had ever told her how badly she could paint.

"So, what do you think? Do you like it?!" Anzu demanded.

"It's uh…Really nice, Anzu. Thanks for the gift." Yugi replied; staring at the mess that was supposed to be himself. Nevertheless, he was genuinely grateful for her efforts. She glowed with pride.

In his soul room, Yami was dying from fits of laughter. --HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! That's the absolute WORST painting I've ever seen!--

"And since I didn't know when Yami's birthday was, I even made one for him!" She added, turning the picture over to reveal an even worse painting.

Yami's laughter was suddenly cut short. --Ha-WHAT?! How can that possibly look like me?!--

Yugi mentally snickered. /See what happens when you don't act nice?/ He scolded. His only reply was a mental groan.

--I sincerely hope you don't expect me to bear the sight of that hanging in our room…--

Honda leaned over the shorter boy's shoulder to inspect the art. His laughter echoed down the hall and Joey soon joined in.

"Y-You call THAT art?!" Joey choked, wiping tears from his eyes.

"That's absolutely horrible!!" Added Honda.

She glared, invisible fire poking flames of annoyance at the two boys. "What are you laughing at?! I worked REALLY hard on those paintings! And besides, Yugi said they were nice, you blind buffoons!"

"Oh, yeah! I'm sure you did your best!"

"Now, guys. Don't be mean. It was a very thoughtful gift." Ryou reasoned, rolling his eyes at Honda's snort.

"See?! At least Ryou here knows art when he sees it!"

Joey coughed mockingly, but at the sudden glare from Anzu, quickly handed Yugi a small, rectangular shaped box wrapped neatly in…Newspaper.

He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Ran out of wrapping paper, huh?"

"Hey! It wasn't my fault! We spent loads on the gift alone!" The blonde exclaimed, exasperated.

"Yeah, that's from both of us!" Honda grinned, leaning against Joey in a brotherly pose. "If not for my help, Joey here would've been forced to get you a pair of socks." He was promptly rewarded with a painful shove.

The shorter boy rolled his eyes. After nonchalantly tearing the newspaper off and ignoring Joey's protest, he held in his hands two cards. He eyes widened.

--Sacred mother of all that is holy…--

"Joey, Honda, I can't accept this. This is…"

Joey grinned. "Don't worry about it. I promised you I'd get Exodia back. I'm just sorry it's not your grandpa's original cards."

"Yugi." Honda shot him a mock glare. "You have to accept our gift. It'd be rude not to!"

"Th-thanks a lot, you guys!" Yugi continued to stare at the two cards in his hand with gratitude.

The mob of students had just reached their destination when the bell rang. The remaining people who had yet to offer their gifts hurriedly piled it on Yugi's desk before scampering off to claim their seats. Later on at recess, Yugi opened Ryou's gift, an advanced guide on dueling strategies. Shizuka's gift, typical of a girl, was a small Kuriboh plush.

"Ryou! Only you would give a book!" Joey laughed; his eyes glimmering oddly from unshed tears.

The white haired boy jumped and grinned sheepishly. "I just thought it might help…"

-x-

Going home was the absolute last thing Joey wanted to do after school. He decided to take a walk in the park after his friends split up in their own directions. Shizuka, after much sighing, stated that there were still a few more things to be done in her temporary home before waving good bye to her brother.

As he wandered beneath the shade of the trees, he let his mind roam freely in his thoughts. Contrary to the popular belief that Joey's memory span matched that of a gold fish, he remembered full well what he thought was _worth_ memorizing. In his head, he'd neatly arranged many important dates. Next month, Mokuba would turn a year older.

Maybe it seemed odd that he even remembered Mokuba. But the little kid did help them out on several occasions and besides, it gave him something to do…

--Great way to distract yourself, Joey. It's obvious what you're really doing. Isn't there a medical term for this? Delayed Chronic Depression something or other… I'm ashamed to be you.--

Yeah, well so am I. God, leave me alone. This IS the perfect way to say good bye to my friends. Even if they aren't aware of it…

--You're only digging a hole for yourself.--

His conscience was being truthful, though. Ever since the signs began, Joey couldn't help but feel as if he owed something to his friends and knew that he'd have to give them something before his time ran out. In fact, they were more to him than just friends; they were his family, a substitute for the one he loss in a sense. He was being serious now, although his sister was his only confidant.

Wrenching himself away from his depressing thoughts, he focused more on the matter at hand. Mokuba's birthday was soon and the only time Joey ever saw him these days was when the kid came to Domino High and waited patiently for Seto to finish school. Summer vacation would start at the end of July and Joey couldn't figure out how to catch Mokuba privately, without big brother there to watch.

--You could always go straight to their mansion…--

He snorted. _Yeah, right. Am I really that stupid? No, better not answer that. Maybe I can get to him before Kaiba shows up._

-x-

Running his hand through his brown locks, Seto leaned forward onto his elbows and rested his chin on his fists. The laptop on which he had been working at scant moments ago sat completely forgotten as a flash of blonde and amber kept running through his mind. On the desk in front of him, lay Shizuka's bloodied handkerchief. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to wash it.

--_It's got Katsuya's essence on it that's why.-- _His mind snapped.

He groaned, joining his hands and resting his forehead on his knuckles. _Why? WHY can't I get that moronic mutt out of my head? _

--Because you're wor-!--

He shook his head violently, refusing to believe it. For some minutes, he continued to stare at the handkerchief, deeply immersed in his thoughts. Little bits and pieces of information filtered through his mind and he, being the analytical strategist that he was, carefully went over each and every one relating to the blonde and of his suspicions that something was seriously wrong.

Even if everyone else had dismissed it, Shizuka's early arrival and strange outburst was odd. Even her hesitation to answer his inquiry on the cause of Joey's pain. And Seto noticed, yes he did notice, no matter how subtle the implications had been, that Joey's normal eating habits and outward demeanor were changing by slow degrees.

Seto furrowed his brow. It irritated him that everyone had been so willing to accept Joey's outright lie about his bruise. As much as he hated to admit it, Joey couldn't really be that slow in reflexes to slip on a mere book. He had seen before how fast the blonde could move when pressured – or motivated by the sight of food, after all.

He recalled their collision in the hallway. Joey had actually been reluctant to fight. The normal Joey would have attempted to strangle his throat. But he'd barely made an argument that time.

There were so many details that Seto had not failed to notice; all of which kept pointing in a negative direction. Fuck the fact that he was turning into a stalker.

Looking up, his blue eyes widened in an unfamiliar stage of shock. It suddenly hit him with an emotion not unlike disgust and self-loathing. He was actually thinking about Joey. _Thinking_ about him. Even entertaining the idea that he'd like to find out what was making the blonde puppy droop. Him, Seto? Worried about a worthless mutt, a total hazard to his otherwise flawless reputation? Outrageous!

There was a loud screech as Seto's chair was thrown back, due to the force made by his instant lurch. He stood rigidly, staring at the ceiling, trying to force himself to believe that he didn't care. Running both of his hands through his hair, he turned around and smashed his forehead against the wall.

"I…REALLY…Hate…That…Mutt…" He muttered into the pale wallpaper.

--But… I hope he's doing alright…--

"NO! I refuse to give a damn about that-that dueling monkey!"

"About who, Onii-chan?" Mokuba chirped as he literally bounced into the office.

Seto froze. Turning around, he regarded the child apprehensively and desperately tried to cover up his slip of mouth. "No one important, Mokuba…Is there something you wanted?"

Mokuba's grin widened still further and it made Seto begin to have a sense of foreboding.

"About my birthday…You ARE planning on getting me a dog, yes?"

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! GO TO YOUR ROOM!"

"FINE, your Royal Awful-ness!"

-x-

Yugi grinned happily as he bounced onto his bed. Vaguely he felt Yami pull out of his soul room and materialize. He rolled onto his back and beamed at his darker half. Yami chuckled.

"I can tell you're happy."

"Yup. Today's been a great day!"

"But today's not over yet."

Yugi sat up at this strange reply but inwardly melted when Yami shot him a mysterious smile. He blinked curiously as the taller boy walked over and placed a white box into his hands.

"What's this Yami?"

"Happy Birthday, aibou."

Yugi's face lit up with surprise and he launched himself into his darker half's arms.

"Thank you, Yami!"

"Hey, you didn't even open it yet." Nevertheless, Yami wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and hugged him close.

Unknowingly, Yugi somehow slipped into Yami's lap as he lifted the lid of the box. Inside was an arm band made entirely of gold. He gasped in delight and took it out to examine it. Simple in design, etched into the gold was the single Egyptian hieroglyph of a hawk, symbol of the sun god Horus.

"Wow. I love it!" Glowing with joy, Yugi looked up into Yami's face and planted a quick kiss on his cheek before going back to admiring the arm band, unaware that the ancient pharaoh had turned a brilliant shade of red.

Yami shook his head and smiled to himself as he endearingly held Yugi on his lap.

-x-

He fell backwards from the brutal shove and his shoulder connected sharply with the edge of a nearby bookshelf, knocking several objects from the shelves as he did so. Sudden pain erupted from his arm and he knew there would be an ugly bruise there by the following morning. Wincing, Joey gingerly cradled his left arm as he readily braced himself for the next assault.

Sadly, when he had arrived home, he had found to his dismay that his father had remained sober. And when he was sober, the insults and abuse were usually worse, mostly because they always seemed to make crystal clear sense.

"Do you have any idea how fucking worthless you are, Joey?" His father spat, effectively making his name sound like a disgusting curse.

When he received no answer, he again stepped forward and shoved him hard so that the blonde slammed painfully into the wall. "It's your fault, you know; your fucking fault that your bitch of a mother left us! In fact, you're so worthless, that she didn't want to take you with her!"

Joey cringed, leaning against the wall for support as the words echoed in his head. He truly believed each spoken lie. A swift punch was quickly aimed at his stomach and he gasped for breath as he fell to his knees.

"I hope you die soon, you bastard! All you do is fucking take up space! I don't know why I kept you when your damn mother left you here! You DESERVE to die!"

Joey's body burst into burning agony as his father vented his unstoppable rage. His feeble attempts to shield himself were in vain, he didn't even care anymore. Curling into a ball on his side, years of practice allowed him to withstand the beating with forced silence. He tried to focus on other things.

A cloud wrapped around him as a detached sense of mind quickly began overtaking his head. He could feel the physical pain almost disappear entirely although his body continued to receive unprovoked assaults.

His vision having become blurred, old memories were beginning to race across his thoughts, as vivid as though he were reliving them. Painful memories; no doubt instigated by the words that his father had so cruelly voiced to make an impression upon his already abused soul.

- Begin Flashback Sequence -

Their voices were so loud and harsh that the two siblings cowering beneath the kitchen table would frequently clamp their hands over their ears when the screaming became too much. Joey hugged tightly onto his younger sister, trying desperately to help her become less frightened with the aid of Frou-Frou.

"You're nothing but a lazy, good for nothing pig! I don't know why the fuck I married you!"

"Look, Shizuka! I think Frou-Frou's lonely! Why don't you give her a hug? Mreow." Frou-Frou looked pleadingly up at her with glistening glass eyes.

"Don't you dare talk like that to me, you damn slut!" There was a loud slap followed by a shriek and the breaking of glass. "You should be fucking grateful that I pay all the bills!"

Joey arranged the poseable kitten into a playful pounce in the middle of his favorite blue blanket. "Mreow. See Shizuka? Frou-Frou wants a hug."

"Stop lying to me! I know what you've been spending your pathetic salary on! And you call ME a slut. At least I don't go around fucking every single whore and prostitute in sight!"

Shizuka stared up at Joey, her large eyes watery and sad. "What are mommy and daddy fighting about, onii-chan?" She sobbed as she clutched Frou-Frou to her chest. "Why won't they stop?"

He paused for a moment before shaking his head sadly. " I don't know, imouto-chan." Joey lied, staring into the living room where the scene was taking place.

"You worthless pig!"

"I'm scared." The little three year old cried, snuggling into her older brother's arms as a metal stool was suddenly hurled across the room and slammed into the television set.

"Don't worry, imouto-chan." He replied, patting the top of her head lightly. "They'll stop fighting soon and then everything will go back to normal."

I hope.

-x-

Shizuka hiccuped as her father loomed ominously before her, Frou-Frou in her arms. He was angry again, but this was the first time that he'd ever been angry with her. To make matters worse, she couldn't even understand why he was angry with her in the first place. Barely turning four, she loved her father, like all young children do, and the hatred he was displaying at the moment hurt her deeply. And she was also scared. She knew what would happen next. Hadn't she seen it happen all the time with the other two members of their dysfunctional family?

"Otou-san, what did I do?" She asked fearfully as he grew even redder.

"You damn well know what you did!" He thundered. "Where'd you hide the fucking remote?!"

Her trembling grew more pronounced as he took a staggering step towards her. "I-I don't k-know! I-I didn't h-hide it!"

"Stop trying to play tricks with me!!" He raised his hand, preparing to strike as Shizuka clenched her eyes in terrified anticipation. "Why you ungrateful-!"

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Joey screamed. He barreled into the room and threw himself in front of her. "Don't you dare hurt her! I won't let you!" Standing defiantly before his father, he hid Shizuka behind him.

His dark, half-crazed eyes began to gleam with a new malice. "So, you dare to defy me?" He said softly, causing a chill to go down the children's spines. "Would you rather take your little sister's place instead?"

"I don't CARE! Just don't hit her!" The young blonde snapped, prepared to take on the world if he had to.

The older man was only too glad to comply and a terrible beating ensued. Joey's young body was thrown about the room like a rag doll even as he fought to keep his dignity. The leather belt that was used lashed through the air, landing repeatedly on the blonde's sensitive skin and leaving angry red welts in its wake. He could vaguely hear Shizuka's small cries of fear. As he was once again thrown off his feet, he smiled weakly at her, but just barely managing to raise his head from the carpeted floor to look at her trembling form behind the living room couch.

"Don't worry, imouto-chan. Get out of here. I'll never let him hurt you." Joey promised encouragingly. His face, although contorted into a grimace of pain, showed no hint of regret.

"B-But-"

The belt sang shrilly before landing hard on the boy's back. A long scream of anguish tore itself through Joey's clenched lips as he curled instinctively on his side; his body trembling in barely contained agony.

"Onii-chan!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Joey felt the following kick break one of his ribs. Later, he claimed that it was his best birthday ever, protecting his younger sister from harm. He was elated that he had discovered a use for himself.

-x-

Joey looked on in confusion as his mother ran around the house, hurriedly stuffing things into a large suitcase.

"Okaa-san?" She continued to ignore him as she pulled clothes out of a drawer.

He tried again. "Okaa-san?"

Turning sharply, she stared at him with a shrewd, calculating look. "What is it?"

He flinched at the harshness of her tone. "I-I was just wondering what…What you are doing…?" He asked timidly.

Turning back to her packing, it took several minutes before she finally answered. "Your sister and I are leaving."

Joey swallowed nervously. Although she had not said it directly, he had a child's premonition that their leaving would be permanent. "Where?"

"I don't know yet."

"W-Why?"

"Stop bothering me with your questions, Joey." Came the tart reply.

He felt tears prick at the back of his eyes and a growing sense of dread. The boy was terribly afraid to ask his next question, almost as if he could already guess the answer. With small hands, he gripped tightly onto his blue blanket, somehow knowing that he'd need it soon.

"Am I c-coming too?"

She barely glanced at him and sighed, not bothering to hide her agitation. "No. You are going to stay here with your father, Joey."

He knew that he shouldn't ask, knew that he probably wouldn't like the answer; but being a child, he couldn't bear his curiosity. "Why…Why can't I come?"

His mother finally rounded on him with an expression that she usually reserved for his father. "Look, Joey. I can't afford to keep you." He suddenly found himself unable to breathe. "I can't afford to take care of a sick child like you. You're going to die inevitably in a matter of years anyway. I'm sorry but it'd be a waste to try."

Her words cut deep. "Shizuka's sick too." Joey countered; looking desperately for a reason that might persuade her to bring him along as well.

"Yes, Shizuka is sick." She replied forcefully. "But she will not die."

That was only half the reason, he knew. His mother had always held a softness of heart whenever Shizuka was involved. He could not help but feel slightly jealous, despite his gladness at the thought that at least his sister would be taken care of. It had always been very clear that the love she held for Shizuka would never be offered to Joey. Maybe it had to do with the fact that everyone had always told him he resembled his father in appearance.

"But-But-" He floundered helplessly for words, like a fish gasping for water.

"No 'buts', Joey." She replied firmly. "You will stay here with your father and that's final. Shizuka will be staying with me."

"NO!"

Shizuka ran into the room, her little ponytail messy and coming undone. She had only heard the last two sentences but it was enough to trigger a desperate reaction. Throwing herself at Joey, she clutched determinedly onto the older blonde like a life support.

"I won't leave onii-chan!" She screamed wildly. "You can't make me! I won't leave!"

"Shizuka!" Having finished packing, she strode forward and grabbed roughly onto her tiny arm, her other hand holding onto the handle of the heavy suitcase. "You know we can't bring him! He'd only turn out like his father!"

With great difficulty, she pried Shizuka off and dragged the little girl, kicking and screaming down the hall and through the front door. Joey merely stood there, somewhat numb and still wondering why his mother could talk of him as if he wasn't there. It took a few moments for reality to sink in. Dropping his blanket in horror, he tore after them and instantly found himself running as fast as his little body could take him after the rapidly disappearing car.

"No, please don't leave! Wait! Onegai! Onegai…"

He screamed until his voice gave out and ran until he collapsed. Nevertheless, it was a useless attempt. After making his slow way back home, he hid under his tiny blanket, as if imagining it to be a warm enveloping hug from a nonexistent mother, and cried himself to sleep.

- End Flashback Sequence -

The room was dark when he regained his consciousness, and Joey could sense the quiet stillness that only hung around his home whenever his father was out to only God knows where. Heaving himself to his feet, he slumped against the wall, gasping heavily as he forced himself to bear the pains in his chest. With slow steps he stumbled his way to the bathroom where he collapsed in front of the sink and vomited what little food he'd consumed at lunch. The taste of bile still in his mouth, he looked up into the cracked mirror.

His face, although pale and shrunken, was completely unblemished save for the healing bruise. If he'd had the strength, Joey would've laughed.

He blinked, noticing that the reflections of his eyes were shimmering with what he thought to be unshed tears. It briefly confused him. Something always held him back from truly breaking into tears, and he couldn't figure out why. He knew that he should feel something, anything; even anger. But he could only feel a numb emptiness within himself. He looked away from his reflection, disgusted at what he saw.

Joey had only one guess. He believed that there was no point in crying. That there would be no point in asking for help when it was certain, no, when _he_ was certain that none would be given in return. He knew this and accepted this; accepted the fact that he would die and nothing could be done about it. Maybe that's why he felt so numb, because it would be pointless to feel otherwise.

There was a blade on the sink, next to his toothbrush. A small combat boot knife that Honda had given him the Christmas before in case he ever needed one. Joey was immensely tempted. Picking it up, he traced the tip lightly on his left palm, running the edge along the groove of his apparently short 'lifeline'; smiling sadly.

It'd be so easy, wouldn't it? If there was no point in feeling, than there would be no point in living. It'd only make sense if he were to end it now rather than force himself to suffer through the needless anticipation of death. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.

- Begin Flashback Sequence -

Joey couldn't be any happier. Shizuka had told him on the phone, only a few days ago, that after weeks of persistent whining, she'd managed to convince their mother into letting her see him at least one last time before the years of indefinite separation that would afterwards follow.

It was Christmas Day and it had been agreed that Shizuka would be dropped off at her former home to spend the night. Joey couldn't stop pacing the room in anticipation. His father was actually in a pretty good mood for once and was happily watching television in the den, not caring about anything other than the screen and its commercials of toilet paper and cereal.

The bell rang. Joey practically ripped the door off its hinges before the bell had even finished ringing and was just in time to catch a glimpse of his mother's car speeding away from sight. A moment later he was tackled to the floor by a little blob of clinging happiness.

"Onii-chan!"

"Merry Christmas, imouto-chan! Come on," He grinned, leading her to the bedroom they used to share. "You forgot to bring Frou-Frou with you when you left!"

Giggling happily, she followed him and gladly accepted the plush. Pulling off her winter coat, she took a small wrapped package from a pocket and offered it to him.

"Here, onii-chan. For you."

"Arigatou, Shizuka." He said, with a hint of sadness. "But I couldn't get anything for you. Oh, but wait. Maybe…" Suddenly brightening with an idea, he ran off to his bed and snatched his blue blanket off.

"Here, for you." He grinned.

"But isn't that yours?" She asked worriedly.

"Well it's yours now. Since it's my favorite, I want you to have it!" He reassured her. "Besides," He sniffed haughtily. "I don't need no baby's blanket anymore."

"Arigatou, onii-chan!" She smiled, hugging the blanket.

Opening her gift, he pulled out a decorated wooden picture frame, a picture of Shizuka herself was carefully protected behind the glass.

He was glad. It would be the only picture he had of her, and he vowed never to lose it. "Arigatou, imouto-chan!" Silence followed for several moments until it was broken by her soft voice.

"…Onii-chan?"

"Hai?"

"What's that…?" She pointed at a large bruise on his arm.

Suddenly the cheery mood vanished. "I-It's nothing…" He lied, withdrawing into himself.

At once Shizuka turned a tearful gaze up at him. "It was otou-san, wasn't it?" Her eyes were wide and wet. "He still hits you!"

Joey cringed, knowing that it wouldn't do any good to deny it. "I-It's nothing..."

"It's not nothing!" She replied angrily, lightly brushing her fingers across the darkened skin.

"It doesn't hurt, n-not really…Look, don't worry about me. I'm fine." He mumbled.

Her lower lip trembled as fear suddenly crept onto her face and she gripped tightly onto his sleeve. "You won't leave, will you? You'll never leave, right?"

"Leave? But you'll have to leave in the morning, you know that." He replied, more than a bit confused at her odd request. He became worried at her sudden strange behavior.

"Promise me, onii-chan!" She sobbed, nearly turning hysterical, tears dripping down her front. "Promise me you won't leave! I don't want you to leave! You can't!"

Joey was unsure what to do. They both knew that they'd end up separating tomorrow, so what was Shizuka asking? She couldn't know about his illness.

Her iron grip on his sleeve began to shake slightly. "O-Onegai?"

Damn the thinking. He couldn't allow his sister to become depressed over him. Besides, no one would have told her. "O-Of course, Shizuka. Don't worry. I'm not leaving, I promise." He smiled reassuringly.

"Never?"

"Never."

- End Flashback Sequence -

How could one so young have known of suicide?

The silence refused to give an answer.

Guess there's really no point in wondering now…I'd be breaking my promise to Shizuka if I were to do it anyway. Besides, Honda and Yugi probably would never forgive me. But…

Looking at his wrist, he drew the blade lightly across it, barely nicking the skin.

…But I sometimes regret ever making that promise…Even though I shouldn't be so selfish…

Suddenly, the knife clattered to the tiled floor, the loud metallic ringing echoing in the quiet room as Joey fell to his knees in pain, clutching his head between his fists.

- One Month Later, July 7 -

"Hey, Joey! Are you coming with us?" Asked Honda while the blonde was getting ready to leave.

"Ah, no. Sorry man, but I got things to do."

"Oh, alright then. See you tomorrow." He waved as he ran to catch up with Yugi and the others.

"Ja!"

After packing his things, Joey ran out of the room, hoping to find Mokuba before Seto. He'd told Shizuka earlier about his plan so she wouldn't wait for him and now he found himself cautiously looking out into the parking lot. Relying on pure luck that Mokuba would be there that day, he was greatly relieved to see the small kid sitting alone on a bench beneath a tree, happily swinging his legs.

He raced over there, hoping Seto wasn't behind him, when just as he reached within twenty feet of the tree, he found himself caught in a tight headlock.

"Hey, Joey! Long time no see!"

Craning his neck in fear, he half expected to see a pair of cold blue eyes glaring at him. But it was to his great surprise that he found himself staring into a pair of large violet ones instead. He gasped.

"Mai?!"

"The one and only!" She replied, grinning, as she released him from her grip.

"Wha-What are you doing here?"

Mai laughed and tightly hugged him. "I was in the neighborhood so I thought I'd drop by. So what've you been up to?"

As glad as he really was to see Mai again, he couldn't help but notice Seto striding towards Mokuba out of the corner of his eye.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

-x-

Seto could feel himself fuming. He knew Mai but he couldn't help but wonder why she was at their school and bothering Joey. Twice he nearly made the fatal mistake of openly staring at them as he approached his younger brother.

_What is SHE doing here? _Knowing the dangers of his own temper, he averted his gaze to stare at the ground, trying to think logically. _Wait. What am I getting worked up for? She's that mutt's friend. There's nothing wrong with that._

But when the purple eyed blonde hugged Joey again and the boy's light blush deepened significantly, the brunette nearly exploded.

--Yes, there IS something wrong with that…--

"Um, Seto? Are you okay? Your face is all red…"

He jerked around, surprised to find Mokuba staring at him. Then he realized why he was there in the first place.

"Come, Mokuba." He said, unaware that his voice was terse and angry. "We're going."

As he passed the two, however, he couldn't resist the urge to call out.

"So, the mutt has other friends?" He sneered mockingly. "I didn't think it possible, you being the pathetic dog you are."

What he saw next was quickly dismissed as a figment of his own imagination; but Seto could have sworn that he'd seen a brief hint of sadness on Joey's face before it was quickly replaced by anger. Mai was then forced to restrain him.

"You bastard! I swear I'll get you for that!" Joey shouted, ignoring the odd looks he received from passing students.

"Calm down, Joey! Just ignore that conceited jerk." Mai protested.

Seto didn't even bother to try and stop himself. "Let him go, for all I care. That weak, dueling monkey couldn't fight his way out of a paper sack. Everyone knows that his brain is the size of a malnourished pea!"

Nearby students laughed and Joey's face turned an inconceivable shade of red in embarrassment. His fighting having ceased, Seto was purely convinced that the boy was too choked up with hatred for words and stalked dramatically away, glaring at anyone that dared look him in the eye.

Mokuba suddenly froze as he entered the limousine. _Dueling monkey…? Haven't I heard that somewhere else before…?_

-x-

After Mai had left, claiming that she would visit again later, Joey discovered that he had no other choice but to personally deliver Mokuba's gift to the Kaiba mansion.

He trudged dejectedly along the sidewalk; his shoulders hunched and head bowed. Seto's insults had hurt him deeply. Although he knew he was stupid and useless, it always hurt to hear the fact confirmed by another person. He was also fighting to understand his conflicting emotions.

_Kaiba's always insulted me, always. Ever since he and I met. So why does it hurt a hundred times more now than it usually does? _He sniffled. _I don't understand his hatred towards me. I've never beaten him in a duel, and he knows I'm worthless. So why does he even bother? …Why do I even care for that matter?_

--_Oh, wow. Let's wonder about this for a second. Maybe it's because you want him to LIKE you for a change?--_

Joey stiffened at the foreign thought. _NO way. _He thought fiercely, suppressing his conscience enough to make it actually squeak in protest. _No fucking way. Meeting him was the worst thing to have ever happened to me. I hate that asshole! I HATE HIM!_

Infuriated, he swung his right fist into the nearest thing, and regretted it when he realized he'd attempted to break through a solid wall. The pain wasn't the real problem; he'd certainly felt worse. It merely annoyed him that he now had bleeding knuckles to contend with. Shaking off tiny droplets of blood, he sighed at his own stupidity and groped in his backpack for his medical kit. Clumsily wrapping gauze around his hand he shouldered his bag and continued on.

A few seconds later he heard a sound like a breaking twig behind him. Alarmed he spun around to find - no one there. The sidewalk and street was completely deserted. Shrugging his shoulders he continued on. Less than two seconds later a dry leaf crackled, as if it were being smashed and he turned to look behind him once again.

"Alright, whoever's following me, cut it…!"

Silence. His eyes widened in fear as he scanned the area, completely spooked. He had always been the type to jump quickly to irrational conclusions. He sucked in a breath and took off running. Even so he could swear he heard hurried footsteps lightly following him but every time he looked backwards - nothing. His conclusion?

Holy shit! This street is haunted!

-x-

He collapsed in front of the gates of the Kaiba mansion, clutching at his chest. In light of his recent discovery he'd forgotten that in his current, weak state, he probably shouldn't be running so much. He rested for awhile before his gaze was drawn to the white mansion and the 10 foot tall gate that blocked him. Groaning, he hoisted himself over carefully, fully aware that there were probably a million security cameras recording his ass. He decided he didn't care. What he didn't notice was the bandage loosening from his fist and fluttering away.

He rang the doorbell, hoping Seto wouldn't be the one to answer it. After all, the guy must be rich enough to own a butler or two, maybe a few dozen maids, all of whom could answer the door, right? Unfortunately, luck just wasn't on Joey's side that day.

"What do you want, mutt?"

Cringing beneath the gaze of the taller teen, he managed a feeble grin. "Um, hi. I was, uh, hoping I could have a word with Mokuba, um, maybe…?"

Seto smirked and leaned against the doorframe. "And why the Hell should I let you in here? You're lucky I let you get this far."

"Wha – What do you mean?" Joey stared at him stupidly.

The CEO rolled his eyes. "That gate's not the only thing keeping stray dogs like you out of this place. Now I regret telling the security guards off. Go away."

"W-Wait! C'mon, please. Lemme in. I really need to speak to Mokuba!" Joey protested.

Seto glared at him. "No."

"Fine, you arrogant jerk!" The blonde exploded, his arms flapping about in an extremely juvenile way. "See if I care ----!"

Suddenly Seto wasn't listening. His eyes had been drawn to the blonde's rapidly waving fists. One of them in particular looked like it was in really bad shape. Without meaning to, he grew concerned. Ignoring Joey's squawk of protest he grabbed hold of the boy's collar and dragged him inside before slamming the door shut.

"Stupid dumb mutt…"

"Hey what's the big idea, Kaiba?! Thought you weren't going to let me in!"

The brunette shot him a glare and told him to shut up. Out of confusion more than anything else the younger boy complied and allowed the taller teen to drag him into a bathroom.

"Um, why are we - ?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

Joey watched in stunned silence as Seto gently took hold of his injured hand and rinsed out the wounds beneath the faucet. Then, reaching into the medicine cabinet, he dressed the wounds with first aid ointment before expertly wrapping a gauze bandage around the hand. Joey didn't realize he was blushing as both of Seto's hands worked to take care of his, one hand wrapped firmly around his wrist to hold it in place. The blonde couldn't help imagining how strong those hands actually were, how gentle they were being with him now. With the sole exception of his sister, no one had ever taken care of his injuries with this much care. It was ironic that Seto would be caring for injuries that were caused by thoughts of him.

Kaiba's… Wait, what is this? Kaiba, he's… Helping me?

--He cares, maybe?--

He…

Joey was brought sharply back to reality when he noticed that Seto's warm touch had disappeared. He looked up suddenly and his gaze connected with the penetrating stare of the taller teen. The blonde felt his will weakening beneath the intensity, couldn't help but feel as if his soul was being read. The brunette's blue eyes had taken on a darker hue, icy and guarded still, but somewhere in them a faint spark of softness.

"Kaiba…"

Seto turned away and scoffed. "No way in Hell was I going to let you bleed on my front entrance steps and stain the wood."

The-the STEPS?!

When Seto turned back towards him Joey noticed that his eyes had become cold and apathetic once again, reverting back to the cool blue of ice. "But now that you're in here I suppose I won't be able to get you out again unless you've seen Mokuba. What a pain you are. Come on."

Huh?

Joey, feeling as if he'd just missed something important, had no choice but to follow Seto through a maze of corridors and up a flight of stairs until they stopped in front of a closed door that displayed a plaque bearing Mokuba's name.

"I'll be in my study. I trust you can walk yourself out?" Seto stated coldly. Without waiting for a reply he entered the room directly across the hall from Mokuba's and closed the door behind him.

"Um, thanks, I guess…" Joey sighed, aware that Seto had probably not heard him. Biting his lip, he knocked and entered.

"Oh, hi Katsuya!" Mokuba was on the floor seated before a game console and grinning happily. "Why are you here? Wanna play? Onii-sama programmed a new game for me for my birthday! It's really cool! It's a VR RPG similar to the one you 'an Yugi played a long time ago, remember? When we went to save my brother? 'Cept this one's different 'cause…"

Joey's jaw dropped. _He MADE a game? Damn genius bastard makes the rest of us normal idiots look bad._

"…Well, actually it sucks. I wanted a puppy… Don't know why he doesn't like dogs…"

Inwardly Joey froze, somehow understanding the implications behind Seto's refusal to own a dog. _He dislikes me that much…?_

"- And I really wanted a puppy! And – hey, are you okay, Katsuya?"

The blonde snapped out of his thoughts. "Wha -? Oh. Oh, yeah, I'm alright. Heh. Thanks for the video game offer but I'm only here to deliver your present." Joey flashed one of his trademark grins before extracting a thin box from his back pack. "Sorry it ain't as fancy as your brother's gift."

"Wow! Thanks Katsuya!" Mokuba took the gift with childish glee and hastened to open it. "Don't worry about onii-sama, presents from him are always like that… I'm still mad that he didn't get me what I really wanted though – oh, hey, this is great! I really like this band!" His eyes scanned the back of the CD case. "Dead depressing, their songs. That's why I like'em. How'd you know they're my favorite?" He asked.

Head spinning from all the childish pratter, Joey laughed, although inside he couldn't stop thinking about Seto's hatred. "I didn't, really. I just gave you one of my personal favorites. I'm glad you like it. My favorite on that CD is 'In the End.'"

"Oh? I haven't heard all of these songs yet. I'll be sure to listen to 'em. Thanks!"

-x-

"What… are you _doing_?"

Joey nearly jumped a foot high and turned around. "Kaiba! Don't scare me like that!"

The brunette raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. Clearly he wasn't in the mood to cater to Joey's overreactive freak alarms. "The security guards reported to me that an unidentified blonde stranger has been roaming my home for the past hour. I repeat, what the Hell are you doing?"

Blushing heatedly, the blonde looked at floor. "I-I can't find my way out…" He mumbled.

"You're lost?!"

"Yeah, well, it's not my fault your stupid house is so big!" Joey protested heatedly, crossing his arms.

Seto shook his head disbelievingly. The younger teen really was absent minded. "I guess you really _can't_ walk yourself out."

Still grumbling beneath his breath, Joey again had no choice but to follow Seto back through the maze of corridors. It was a long walk, however, and the blonde, so used to hearing shouts and screams, found the silence to be disconcerting.

"Uh… Did you know that street a block away from here is haunted?" Joey asked nervously, testing the waters to see if casual conversation would be tolerated. Seto shot him a look that clearly said he was insane.

"No, really!" The blonde persisted, growing slightly bolder. "I could hear someone following me even though no one was there!"

The brunette rolled his eyes. "Moron. You probably allowed some little kid's idea of a prank to scare you."

Words of retaliation were already set to bubble from Joey's throat but he had no chance to voice them. Instead, he cried out as another wave of dizzyness washed over him and his world began to spin. His body lurched forward and Seto, who had turned upon hearing his cry, was too surprised to react. Joey fell hard against him, knocking both of them to the ground.

"Koinu!?"

The blonde lay on his chest, eyes wide and breathing heavily. He wasn't even aware he had fallen. Seto had no idea what the Hell was wrong. His arms instinctively curled around Joey's shoulders.

"Koinu, what's wrong?"

Joey moaned softly and Seto felt his breath catch in his throat. The smaller teen currently laying atop him shifted slightly and raised his head. Amber eyes blinked, the confusion finally fading away. Joey came to his senses only to find his face mere centimeters from Seto's. His face flushed.

"Are you all right?" The brunette murmured, genuinely concerned.

Completely speechless and mind totally blank, Joey discovered that he no longer had any control over his body whatsoever. He couldn't help but notice how much he liked being in Seto's warm embrace. Even as his mind screamed at him to run away before things got out of control, his eyes closed shut and his face slowly fell forward until he could feel Seto's hot breath on his lips.

"…Kai…ba…"

Beneath his hands, Joey felt the muscles of Seto's chest tense but he made no move to push the blonde away. Instead his arms wrapped more tightly about him, bringing him closer. The brunette's breathing hitched as he realized that in just another second, their lips would make contact.

"SETOOOOOOOOO!" Mokuba's wail echoed throughout the entire mansion, jolting the two teens on the floor out of their daze. Joey slid off of him as Seto lurched forward at the sound of Mokuba's voice. "There's a strange creep looking in the window!!! AIEEEEEEE!"

"What the fuck?!" Alarmed, the CEO jumped up. As if on cue, security systems instantly went off, warning of an intruder on the premises.

Without another word, the concerned Kaiba brother dashed off in search of his sibling. Joey was left alone in the middle of the floor, completely confused and frightened. He got up and began running. Fortunately the front entrance was near and he burst through it. Through the darkened streets he ran. His eyes began to water but he dared not let the tears fall.

Wha-what the HELL just happened?!

- To Be Continued -

Hm… I wonder if this chapter had enough angst in it? Didn't feel like it… Sacred Seth. My first attempt at some fluff... It was bad, wasn't it? -sweatdrop-

**UnableToCry: **Yes, yes. I know. Three years it took and FINALLY my lazy butt manages to get this 4th chapter out. Oh! I have an idea! ::disappears and comes back wearing a blue poncho, a scream mask, oven mitts and rain boots:: For being such an irresponsible author, I give all of you permission to throw things at me!

**Yugioh cast: -**sweatdrop- …

**UnableToCry: **No, seriously. -smile- Take your time. In fact, I can wait here all day.

**Lacrimare: **I think the, uh, the scream mask is a little over the top…

**Yami:** Yes… That is certainly an odd look.

**Bakura: **Well if no one's going to throw anything I'll do it! Hahaha! ::throws a bucket of rotten vegetables:: Take that!

**UnableToCrry: **--; I suppose I deserve it… -sigh-

-x-

There are a few things my readers ought to know. First of all, since all copies of the original version of this chapter disappeared a couple years ago, this total rewrite may be messed up. When I first began this fic (in 2002) I had a plot all planned out but since I didn't write an outline…Basically this fic is now pretty much writing itself. -grinning feebly- Oh, well…

Also, during my absence I've set up an MSN group site that I think most Seto/Jou fans would enjoy. Web layout is crappy, I'm an amateur, I know. BUT I have posted there my entire collection of Seto/Jou images that I found on the net. Read the disclaimer on the main page before you yell at me for stealing, okay? I just wanted to share with everyone how absolutely adorable these two look together. I'll be damned if I horde over a 100 beautiful images to myself. -sigh-

Here's the address (I trust that you know the dash mark and the spaces aren't supposed to be there, ff-net wouldn't display it otherwise):  
h t t p : /-/ groups . msn . com / Forever My Koinu

One more thing… I know someone said that I yap too much before and after the fic… And that's true. I'm sorry. --; It's just that I get so excited knowing someone's actually reading my fic that I get carried away. I'll try to work on that…

Here's a little something I wrote when I was bored. I hope my readers can get some amusement from it.

- Pointless Humor -

**Jou: **Hello! This is everyone's favorite Koinu, here -

**Seto: **-ahem-

**Jou: **-glare- - with everyone's favorite jerkwad, and -

**Seto: **We're here to host this page as a special contribution to all our fans. -smirk-

**Jou: **Hey, quit butting in! This is MY spotlight, moneybags!

**Seto: **-eyeroll- Down, puppy. I'll buy you all the chew toys you want, later.

**Jou: **Huh, really?! -freeze- Uh-I-I mean... NO! How dare you treat me like some animal! -glare-

**Seto: **-smiles seductively- Like it or not you'll always be a koinu - and you'll always be MY Koinu. -yanks on a leash attached to Jou and smirks-

**Jou: **-blush- Th-Tha- STOP THAT! -blush-

**Bakura: **EGADS. Get a room you two! (fangirls scream)

**Seto & Jou: -**freeze- ...Where'd you come from?

**Yami: -**eyeroll- The same place where we always come from.

**Seto: **-nods sagely- You mean from the improbability drive, don't you?

**Yami & Bakura: **Duh.

**Jou: **Huh? -clueless-

**Ryou: **It's simple, Jou. (fangirls scream) We all originated from a virtually improbable probability drive based upon the random thought stream of a singularly complex carbon based unit.

**Seto: **Too true. In other words, the probability of said unit containing multiple thought streams convalescing into an interconnecting strand is highly probable. So probable in fact, that the improbability of our tangible existences becomes highly probable in the end and we become two dimensional characters in a three dimensional space. - So it all works out.

**Jou: **O.O -blink-

**Bakura: **Aargh! It's so simple, you dumb mutt! Even a two year old can grasp the inter-dimensional properties of his own existence!

**Seto: **-growls menacingly and whacks Bakura on the head- Don't insult my Koinu, Thief!

**Bakura: **Hey, I resent that! sulk (fangirls cry)

**Jou: **Owiee... -whine- It hurts, Seto... -sniffle-

**Seto: **-hugs Jou- Shh. I know, Koinu, I know. That's just your brain trying to think. Here puppy, I have a present for you. -snaps around Jou's neck a black ribbon choker with a flawless diamond charm the size of a quarter- It was on sale for $3 million at Zales. I thought it'd look nice on you. -smile-

**Bakura: **OO; HOLY FUCK! -begins to drool as thief-instincts kick in-

**Jou: **-smiles shyly- Th-thanks.

**Yami: -**eyes the gift scathingly and scoffs- A mere trinket! When I was Pharaoh I used diamonds the size of my fist as scroll weights.

**Seto: -**eyeroll- And when I was High Priest even you had to respect me because I had the power to raise the dead and instigate the wrath of the gods.

**Yugi: **...Actually Yami, that's true.-smile- Most ancient societies held more respect for the leader of religion rather than the leader of the people... Says so right in the school textbook.

**Bakura: **Hehe… So was Pharaoh Yami just a figurehead?

**Ryou & Yugi:**-sweatdrop- -senses conflict arising-

**Yami: **-smiles calmly but there's an obvious anger tick on his forehead- Aibou...

* * *

_Note: _I'm MAD! They no longer allow dd tags! How can I do without paragraph indentations?! AAGH. It's so ugly! How can one distinguish between paragraphs and quotations?! -sob- Oh, my precious indentations... -wail- Oh, they can have RULERS and ITALICS but not indentations? They even took away the upside-down carrot and squiggly line symbols and the- Holy Hell the ASTERISK is gone too! I can't make faces anymore or my version of a scene divider! Stupid ff-net and their stupid formatting rules! Gr... -wail- 

**Readers (if any): **o.O;


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